Pumpkin Spice Bread & Monte Cristo Sandwich Recipes

Fall is coming and if you like pumpkin-themed dishes, be sure to try out this award-winning recipe below!

Katrina Wilk of Washington, 1st Place, 2012 Washington County Fair

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Bread:

• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon allspice, divided
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 package Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

Filling:

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Topping:

Milk, for brush tops of loaves

Blend egg, pumpkin and 1/2 teaspoon allspice together. In a separate bowl, add 3 tablespoons butter and honey to hot water. Slowly add water mixture to pumpkin and mix well. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients except 3 cups all-purpose flour. Add in pumpkin mix and stir. Add as much flour as needed to make a stiff ball. Knead on floured surface, adding remaining flour until dough becomes elastic. NOTE: You will not need all of the flour, the remainder is for flouring the surface.

In a greased bowl, put in dough and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled. Punch down, divide into two pieces. Roll each piece on a floured surface out to an 11 x 9-inch rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and cool. Spread butter over the dough, thinly, to about 1-inch from all edges. Mix together brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and remaining 1/2 teaspoon allspice. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mixture onto the buttered area of each piece. Fold each long side of the rectangle to the center, overlapping the unbuttered edges and pressing down all over using your hands, squishing the dough out to be about 7-inches wide but keeping the same approximate length. Picking up the end of the short side, start rolling up the dough toward the opposite side, keeping the ends even, to form a loaf. Repeat with second piece of dough. Place in 2 greased 8 x 4-inch loaf pans seam side down. Brush tops with milk. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling rack. Rub the remaining tablespoon of butter on the tops of the hot bread. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Filling:

• Virginia baked ham, sliced
• Swiss cheese, sliced
• Roasted turkey breast, sliced
• Apple butter
• 2 tablespoons butter, for frying

Egg Batter:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Using two slices of Pumpkin Spice Bread, layer sliced Virginia baked ham, a slice of Swiss cheese, sliced roasted turkey bread, another slice of Swiss cheese and apple butter. For egg batter, mix together eggs, milk and sugar and whisk in a medium bowl. Melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in a hot fry pan and dip the whole sandwich in an egg batter. Toast each side until golden, turning over to toast both sides evenly.