ArcaMax

When you walk through a farmers' market or a supermarket produce section at this time of year, one sight more than any other tells you instantly that we're in autumn: the piles of golden-orange pumpkins of every size, along with ivory white pumpkins and a kaleidoscope of other hard-shelled winter squashes of all shapes and colors. And so many squashes are now being grown organically, making them even better for you.

I love to cook with squash. Its earthy yet sweet flavor and silky cooked texture suit it to all kinds of dishes, both savory and sweet. Squash is one of my favorite soup ingredients, and chunks of it are delicious in robust cold-weather stews. Pureed squash blended with butter or cream and seasonings makes a vivid, elegant side dish. And then, of course, there's dessert.

Everybody knows, and almost everyone enjoys, pumpkin pie, which starts to make its first appearances around Halloween, then becomes the star of the Thanksgiving dessert table, and continues to linger on through Christmas and even New Year. Those of us who are fans are certainly happy to eat it all year long.

But I have to admit reluctantly that it can be possible to have too much of a good thing. That's why I want to share with you another of my favorite pumpkin desserts: Pumpkin Bread Pudding, which makes a great Halloween party treat, a show-stopping Thanksgiving dessert or a wonderful dessert any time during the coming months.

Bread pudding is so easy and it adapts so well to seasonal ingredients, welcoming a handful of springtime's first berries, summertime cherries, or autumn and winter apples as readily as it does other year-round embellishments such as chocolate, nuts and dried fruit. Pumpkin puree blends thoroughly with the other ingredients, suffusing the pudding with flavor and color.

Even better, there's no need to go to the trouble of cutting up or cooking pumpkin beforehand. In fact, familiar jack-o-lantern pumpkins won't give you the best flavor or consistency for this dessert or for pumpkin pies. Instead, use widely available canned pumpkin, which is, in fact, not pumpkin at all but a variety of butternut squash.

Once you've combined the ingredients as directed, bake the puddings slowly and gently, assembling a hot water bath inside a baking pan in the oven. Take extra care to avoid splashing the hot water, using the procedure I also explain in the recipe.

And there's one more secret to enjoying my Pumpkin Bread Pudding. You'll like it on its own, I'm sure, but it tastes even better when you top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or rum raisin ice cream.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

Serves 12

9 ounces brioche or other rich egg bread

3 ounces unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

1-1/2 cups milk

6 ounces granulated sugar

6 large eggs, beaten

2 egg yolks, beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Water

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Use a serrated bread knife to cut the brioche into 1/2-inch cubes. Put them in a bowl. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Drizzle it over the bread cubes, gently tossing them with a wooden spoon to coat them evenly. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 8 minutes to dry them out slightly and toast them lightly. Remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, stir together the milk and half of the sugar. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then immediately remove from the heat.

In a heatproof mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and remaining sugar. Stirring the egg mixture continuously, pour in a spoonful of the pumpkin puree and a small ladleful of the hot milk-sugar mixture. Then, gradually stir in the remaining pumpkin and hot milk. Hold a fine-meshed sieve over another mixing bowl and pour the mixture through the sieve, pressing it through with a rubber spatula.

Add the bread cubes, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to the pumpkin-egg mixture, stirring gently to combine them. Leave to soak for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 12, 4-ounce soufflé cups. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

Spoon the bread pudding mixture into the prepared soufflé cups and place them, not touching, inside a large baking pan. Open the oven, pull out a rack and place the pan securely on the rack; then carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come 1/2 inch up the outsides of the soufflé dishes. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil. Carefully slide the rack and pan into the oven and close the oven. Bake until the soufflés are puffy and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes or so to let the tops brown.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and transfer the soufflé cups to individual serving plates. Serve immediately.