Name: Mexican Pumpkin Bread Pudding Graves with Baked Churro Mummies
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H45M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT1H45M0.000S
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves; 3 cinnamon sticks; 3 whole star anise; 1 orange, unpeeled and sliced; 2 cups whole milk; 1 cup canned pumpkin puree; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves; 2 eggs, beaten; 6 cups cubed stale bread; 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese; 1/4 cup slivered almonds; 1/4 cup golden raisins; Crushed cinnamon spice cookies, plus 6 whole cookies, such as Biscoff; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 eggs; Nonstick cooking spray; 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar blend; 6 ounces melted white chocolate or candy melts; Candy eyes, for garnish

Directions

Special equipment:

six 5 3/4-by-3 1/4-inch mini loaf pans

For the syrup: In a saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine 1 cup water, the brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and orange slices. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes. Strain with a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids.
For the bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves and eggs. In a separate large bowl, combine the bread with all but 1/4 cup of the syrup. Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup syrup. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and toss gently. Toss in 3/4 cup of the cheese, the almonds and raisins, and combine. Distribute the mixture evenly among 6 mini loaf pans and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
While the pudding is still warm, pour the remaining 1/4 cup syrup over the tops of the loaves and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Then top each loaf with some crushed cookies for a graveyard dirt effect.
For the churros: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once and stir quickly with a wooden spoon to combine. Beat in the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well before adding the next. After adding each egg, the mixture will become glossy but will return to the thick consistency of mashed potatoes when combined. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag with a large (3/8- to 1/2-inch) round tip. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Pipe 4-inch rows of the dough with at least 1-inch of space between each churro. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 25 minutes.
Place the cinnamon sugar in a shallow, square baking dish. Spray the churros lightly with the cooking spray and dip each one into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll around to make sure they are well coated.
Place the melted white chocolate in a piping bag or plastic sandwich bag. Snip off the end and quickly drizzle the chocolate over the churros in a zig-zag mummy wrap pattern, and then add candy eyes to the mummies. Place the mummies into the bread pudding graves and place a headstone above them. Enjoy your scary treats!

Cook’s Note

You can dip the cinnamon spice cookies in additional melted chocolate that has been colored grey with black food coloring for an even scarier graveyard.