Bread Pudding

Warm up on a chilly fall evening with this pumpkin spice bread pudding.

This recipe was created by Melissa Walnock, the pastry chef at New York's Tabla. It's part of a special menu for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Brunch and dessert collide in this delicious dish.

This recipe yields extra gingerbread — enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee.

This rich, custard-like stuffing is also a great main-course option for vegetarians at the Thanksgiving table; it would be nice with a salad for brunch or lunch, too.

Dallas chef Kent Rathbun created this fabulous dessert for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

White bread is perfect for bread pudding—as long as it's hand-formed and (preferably) unsliced, like the old-fashioned white here.

Garcia likes making this bread pudding because "we buy wonderful rustic Italian loaves for the restaurant that are just too good to waste," she says.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party. Berry bread puddings can be made out of any kind of leftover breads — we like brioche, challah, French, sourdough, and cinnamon. The texture is best if the bread you use is a day old. This recipe is designed for individual servings, but you can make it a in large baking dish too. If you're pressed for time on the day of the shower, you can make this the day before.

Beware of packaging announcing a product is "100 percent wheat" — this designation can be used on foods made with refined wheat flour. To be sure of a product's nutritional value, read labels carefully: The first ingredient should be a whole-grain product. Check the fiber content — if the product doesn't contain a minimum of three grams per slice, you are probably dealing with an impostor.

Baker's sugar, a favorite of pastry chefs, is also called superfine sugar. It measures the same as regular but dissolves more quickly. It's available at some supermarkets. You can also make your own by whizzing granulated sugar in a food processor until powdery. Medjools are the most prized of all dates, and their firm, meaty texture is perfect for this recipe.

If you are also making the duck pozole , prepare this dessert while the stew simmers.

Serve as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or on its own as a wonderful brunch dish.