A happy accident: Pumpkin bread pudding

Here's a recipe I came up with by accident, after I baked two loaves of pumpkin bread the other day that stuck to the pans. Trying to pry the loaves out, I broke them into pieces unsuitable for packaging up as the Christmas gifts I'd intended them to be. The bread was delicious though (Click here for the recipe from Epicurious.com) and I didn't want to throw it out. So I made pumpkin bread pudding. I took this to a dinner party last night; we heated it up and served with whipped cream. I have to say, this is a good way to use up any extra pumpkin bread you may receive from friends this holiday season.

Pumpkin bread pudding

Two small loaves pumpkin bread, broken into 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
8 large egg yolks
1-3/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup maple syrup

Place pumpkin bread pieces into a buttered 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Toast at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, turning once. In medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, milk and syrup. Pour mixture over the bread chunks, pressing on bread to completely coat. Cover with foil and refrigerate 30 minutes. Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until pudding is set and firm to the touch. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and reheat when ready to serve.