Smoked Pumpkin Bread Budding with Brown Butter Sauce

1. Whisk together milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl until well blended.

2. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes and mix to ensure there are no dry pieces remaining.

3. Arrange the bread evenly in a baking dish and pour any leftover custard over the top.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.

5. Preheat your smoker to 350°F using Pecan Pellets or a similar sweet wood.

6. Remove plastic wrap and bake the pudding for 35-45 minutes.

7. For the brown butter sauce, whisk together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

8. In a separate bowl, whisk together half-and-half and egg.

9. Slowly pour the half-and-half mixture into the butter mixture, whisking constantly.

10. Continue whisking for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens but remains pourable.