Emmy's Pumpkin Bread

Source: Diann Dubovsky, modified from the King Arthur Flour Company

Yield: 2 loaves

Rating: 4/5 - rich

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 16 oz. cooked pumpkin (fresh is best)
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (reserve 1 Tbsp. to toss with chocolate chips)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
2. Beat together oil and sugar.
3. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and water.
4. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla, stirring to blend.
5. Toss chips in 1 Tbsp. of flour (keeps them from sinking to bottom of batter).
6. Stir chips and nuts into batter.
7. Spoon mixture into two lightly greased 9"x5" bread pans.
8. Bake for 1 hour until cake tester comes out clean.
9. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, turn out, and cool completely on a wire rack.
10. Wrap in foil or plastic and store overnight before serving.

Notes

• The original recipe calls for 2 2/3; cups sugar, but I use less; I also substitute 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar.
• I've gotten by using 1 teaspoon of salt for this recipe.
• (Depending on taste) I've historically reduced chocolate chips to 1 cup for more pumpkin flavor. Your favorite chocoholics might notice the difference, but I haven’t had any complaints.
• This recipe works well in mini loaf pans, too; great for gifts when you don't want to overload your friends on holiday treats.
• I've tried (twice now) to substitute applesauce for some of the oil, but without great success (again it depends on your tastes). If you don't mind a heavier, drier pumpkin bread try ½ cup applesauce and ½ cup oil.