Harvest Loaf

I have a feeling this will be one of the first of many pumpkin recipes posted, so you might want to make sure you have canned pumpkin on hand. It is one of my daughter’s favorite autumn loaves and is especially good when the chocolate chips are still soft. This recipe makes two loaves or you can cut it in half to make one.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter (soft/room temp)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 4 eggs 
• 2 cups cooked pureed pumpkin (398 ml can)
• 3 cups flour 
• 3 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ¾ cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Prepare two 9 x 4 inch loaf pans by greasing with shortening or cooking spray, and dusting with flour.
2. Beat butter and sugar well. Beat in eggs until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin. 
3. Mix dry ingredients with spices and chocolate chips. Stir into wet mixture until combined.
4. Bake for 50 minutes at 350° F, until toothpick tests done. 
5. Cool 10 minutes in pans and then remove to cooling rack.

Before baking, I sprinkled some chocolate chips in a row on top. You can combine nuts and chocolate chips if you like. Once cooled, a drizzle of about 1/4 - 1/2 cup icing sugar with maybe a teaspoon of water and a drop of maple flavoring is optional. Plain is great too.

Tip: do not use the whole can of pumpkin for one loaf just because you don't want to waste it. Too much pumpkin will make too moist and dense of a loaf.