Pumpkin Bread Pudding

pumpkin bread pudding & ooey-gooey caramel sauce
(recipe adapted from epicurious.com)
bread pudding ingredients:
2 cups half & half
1, 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups 1/2 inch cubed stale french bread
1/2 cup golden raisins (i omitted these)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
ooey-gooey caramel sauce ingredients:
1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
* i’d suggest doubling, even tripling the caramel sauce… i prefer to smothered bread pudding. & don’t worry, if there’s any leftover, you can stand over the sink & lick the spoon, i won’t tell anyone – it’ll be our little secret.
bread pudding preparation:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. whisk half & half, pumpkin dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon & vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. gently fold in bread cubes (you don’t want to stir them so much they turn to mush). stir in raisins & chopped pecans (if you choose to use them). transfer mixture to 11×7 glass baking dish, although i prefer to use a large oven-safe bowl. let mixture stand 15 minutes. then bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
meanwhile, prepare ooey-gooey  caramel sauce:
whisk brown sugar & butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. whisk in cream & sugar until sugar dissolves & sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.
to serve:
i prefer to serve the pumpkin bread pudding warm, sift powdered sugar over bread pudding, & drench with warm  ooey-gooey caramel sauce.