Pumpkin Sandwich Bread, and Voting is Open!

So yes, I did more baking this weekend with more pumpkin!  I just can't seem to get enough!!!  (This actually isn't the only thing I baked this weekend; the other things were non-pumpkin and definitely in the Christmas spirit.  You will probably see them next week. *wink, wink*)  

I thought I would share this bread with you today to try and stretch out Thanksgiving just a little longer, and also to remind you of something important... Voting for Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog Challenge #8 is open today!  Did you see my original post where I made Pumpkin Bread and then used it for Rum Raisin Pumpkin Bread Pudding?  If you didn't see it yet, then just scoot your little butt over here and and take a seat on my couch while I share some comfort food with you.

(Here is a visual... are you tempted yet???  Oh, in case you were wondering, the bread pudding is topped with Butter Rum Glaze and Cinnamon Whipped Cream.  Sinful.)   

I hope you enjoy my entry and that you will continue to support me by voting!  Project Food Blog voting is open until 6PM PST on Thursday, Dec 2nd, so be sure to get your vote in before then.  Each and every bit counts and I have greatly appreciated all of you that have been sharing my posts on Twitter and Facebook.  I have been completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, and each day I am overjoyed to see all the enthusiastic comments and kind words in response to each of my posts.  I wish I could give each of you a big hug to show my thanks!

For now, I hope you can appreciate how sharing my baked bread with you is almost as good as a hug.  Is there anything more homey than warm, fresh baked bread straight from the oven?  For me, as I spent this Thanksgiving away from my family, baking bread sure made me feel close to home. 

And then we can't forget about Thanksgiving turkey leftovers!  I knew I wanted a solid turkey sandwich, which is why I decided to adapt my original Pumpkin Bread recipe to have a little less spice and sugar; I thought those changes would make it perfect for a sandwich with some Thanksgiving turkey.  And I added some some cranberry relish.  And some cheese.  I might have put some butter on there too and grilled it.  Mmmm..... Enjoy!

Pumpkin Sandwich Bread
Find the recipe here, and then simply adjust the ingredients by replacing half the all-purpose flour with bread flour, reducing the brown sugar to 1/4 a cup, cutting the rest of the spice amounts in half, and omitting the cardamom.  I also topped the bread with a little chopped pecans, but this is not strictly necessary.  Follow the remaining recipe as it is written.  (I must admit, the bread was a little more soft and 'crumbly' than I would have deemed ideal for sandwich bread, but I still loved it.  I think it would have made a huge difference if I had used the instant (bread-machine yeast) instead; if you want to do this, just keep the recipe the same, omit the milk altogether and add the yeast directly to the ingredients.  


If you want to make a grilled turkey sandwich, cut two slices of Pumpkin Sandwich Bread, and lightly butter one side of each slice.  Place the buttered side down on a plate, and then top one half with 2 slices of Havarti (or cheddar, or brie, whatever you like) and the other half with cranberry relish followed by sliced/diced pieces of turkey.  Sandwich the two halves together; then heat a non-stick skillet until hot and add the sandwich directly.  Grill the sandwich on one side until lightly browned and cheese is beginning to melt, and then flip the sandwich over to grill the second side.  Remove from the skillet, and eat immediately.