Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Bread

My family loves quick breads.  Banana, zucchini, and carrot are all favorites with everyone.  This recipe is something new I decided to try.  The base for this recipe is a pumpkin bread, but I adjusted the spices to fit our tastes more and added mini chocolate chips to the bread.  If you ask my wife, adding chocolate to anything is a good thing.

This bread is good by itself, or you can melt some store bought cream cheese frosting in the microwave and drizzle it over the top.  It also goes good with a cup of coffee for breakfast or a snack any time of the day.

The recipe makes 2 9x5x3 inch loaves or 3 8x4x2 inch loaves, so there is enough to enjoy and give one away to a friend.  The loaves also freeze well.  I usually remove them from the pans, freeze until solid, and vacuum seal for long term storage.  To thaw the bread back out, I just leave it on the counter overnight.


Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
2/3 cup water
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the side of loaf pans; set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil together at medium speed.  Add eggs and beat well; set aside.

In separate bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.  Alternately add flour mixture and water to sugar mixture, beating until just combined.  Add pumpkin and beat until fully incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Divide batter equally between loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool thoroughly.  Wrap with plastic wrap for storage.