Pumpkin Cornflake Breakfast Pudding

I saw mention of Corn Flake Custard a while back, but the place I originally found it had no recipe. I thought it sounded like a really odd thing, so odd I needed to try it. After a bit of searching I found a recipe for a very simple version of this baked breakfast pudding. Have you ever found a recipe like that, one that sounded so strange that you just needed to make it to see what it was like? So, I bought a box of corn flakes and went to making this strange sounding breakfast, but then I wondered what it might be like with pumpkin? It's not an unusual thing to wonder this time of year. Recently I had discovered seven cans of pumpkin lingering in my cupboard, so this seemed like a good time to give Pumpkin Breakfast Pudding a try.  You know what? I would totally make this again, in fact I did, the next day. You will notice in these photos that I used a deep 1 1/2 quart dish. I was far more fond of the crunchy corn flake topping than I was of the mushy corn flake bottom. The middle was nice and custard like, but the bottom was a little too much like corn flakes that had sat in milk too long. The shallow 7x11 inch dish I used on the second try worked out much better and had a lot more of the delicious crunchy part. Both versions were warm and very soothing for a fall breakfast. This recipe is easy to cut in half as well, if you happen to be home alone at breakfast time. Sounds so good I might make another one tomorrow morning...

Amazon.com

Pumpkin Cornflake Breakfast Pudding
adapted from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham
4 cups cornflakes 
4 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 7x11 glass baking dish. Put a pan large enough to hold the baking dish in the oven and fill it with enough water to come about half way up the sides of the baking dish.
Put the cornflakes into the buttered baking dish. In a large bowl add milk, eggs, molasses, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk until all ingredients are well combined. Pour the mixture over the cornflakes in the baking dish, do not stir or mix. Carefully place the dish in the pan of hot water and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the pudding is set and the cornflakes are slightly browned on top. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. Serve warm.