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For the bread:
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In a bowl, combine 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves.
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In a separate, larger bowl, beat 2 eggs, 1/3 cup unsalted butter and 3/4 cup sugar until fluffy. Add 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup milk and 1 teaspoons vanilla.
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With a rubber spatula, add dry ingredients to wet and incorporate til blended.
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Bake in a 350 oven in a greased loaf pan, about 1 hour, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Let cool and invert.
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Cut half of your bread into cubes when cool and let get stale before continuing with recipe. The other half is great for breakfast.
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For the pudding:
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
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Scald 1 cup milk, 1 cup cream and 2 teaspoons sugar. This means warming, just below boiling point, not scorching the milk. Make sure a skin has not developed on the surface; if so, remove. Optional add-on: 1 or 2 ounces of your favorite bourbon, whiskey or rum.
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Combine 5 egg yolks, 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoons vanilla, pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoons each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and 1/2 cup sugar (minus 2 tsp.) and whisk.
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Ladle one or two ladles of milk into the egg mixture and whisk. You want to gently bring up the temperature of the egg mixture before adding to the milk. This process, tempering, helps to prevent curdling. Incorporate all of egg mixture into milk and stir, on low to medium heat, with wooden spoon until mixture has body and thickness. A good barometer is a visible streak made with your finger on the back of spoon.
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Take off heat. Pour over bread cubes, which are waiting in a 2-quart buttered pan (approximate size).
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Pour about 1 inch of water into a larger pan and set pudding pan inside. Water should be half way up the pan. This is called a bain-marie or water bath. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until custard is set. Serve warm or at room temperature. Not very tasty served cold from the fridge.
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Serves at least 9, maybe a few more.
