Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x9-inch or similar 8–9 inch square baking dish with the melted butter.

Soak Bread

Place the 1-inch bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons of the scotch over the cubes and toss gently to coat. Let sit 5–10 minutes so the bread absorbs some liquid.

Make Custard

In a separate large bowl or jug, whisk together the pumpkin puree, whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and salt until smooth and well combined.

Combine Bread and Custard

Pour the pumpkin-egg custard over the soaked bread cubes. Gently fold with a spatula so all bread is evenly moistened. Press down lightly so stubborn dry pieces absorb custard. Let rest 15 minutes, stirring once or twice to help absorption.

Bake

Transfer the soaked bread and custard mixture into the prepared buttered baking dish, spreading evenly. Sprinkle half of the toasted pepitas over the top. Cover loosely with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15–20 minutes, until custard is set (a knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean) and top is lightly golden.

Add-ins & Finish

Toast Pepitas (if not toasted)

If your pepitas are not pre-toasted, heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the pepitas and toast, stirring frequently, 3–4 minutes until they smell nutty and begin to pop. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add Pomegranate & Scotch Finish

When the bread pudding is out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the remaining toasted pepitas and the pomegranate arils evenly over the top. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of scotch over the pudding for aroma and a faint boozy note; if serving to children or those avoiding alcohol, omit this step. If desired, sprinkle a tiny pinch of coarse sea salt to balance sweetness.

Rest

Allow the pudding to rest 10 minutes so juices settle and it firms slightly. The pudding can be served warm or at room temperature.

To Serve

Spoon generous portions of pumpkin bread pudding into bowls. Top each serving with a scoop of Sweet Republic vanilla ice cream. If desired, drizzle an additional teaspoon of scotch on each scoop of ice cream for an adult serving. Garnish with a few extra pepitas and pomegranate arils for color and crunch.

Storage: Cover any leftover pudding and refrigerate up to 3 days. Rewarm in a 325°F (160°C) oven until heated through or microwave individual portions. Ice cream should be served fresh.