Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

As promised, here is the recipe for the pumpkin chocolate chip loaf I have been baking at a mildly alarming rate! The craziness of the beginning of the semester left me with little time to cook, bake, or generally care for myself, but the premise of baking for a room full of hungry violinists (read: studio classes) inspired me to find the time to bake again. Not only did this keep me from going a little bonkers, what with the zen measuring of flours and heady smell of cinnamon and nutmeg, but it was so wonderful to share with everyone! I highly recommend it because, beyond its calming powers, it really is just completely delicious.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf, recipe by Shauna Sever
Makes 1 9x5x3 loaf

11/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Half a can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup room temperature wear
Half a bag each of semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is the way to go!)

Preheat over to 350 degrees and prepare a loaf pan by buttering and flouring. In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. In a larger bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, and sugar, until well-blended. Then add the eggs and vanilla until combined, finishing by whisking in the water. Fold the chocolate chips into the wet ingredients, followed by folding in the dry ingredients in batches. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula, and bake for about 75 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before inverting loaf onto the rack to cool completely before serving. Store in plastic wrap or an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Francesca