Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I finally found time to whip up something from the pumpkin puree I made several days ago. This was a special treat for my class, and they enjoyed every bite of this bread that I baked for them. But of course, who wouldn't? With this much chocolate, it was a sure fire hit!

Oh, and if you scroll down to the bottom of this post, you'd see a cute surprise!


What you need:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chocolate chip
1 cup sugar
1 cup pureed pumpkin
3/4 cups canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs


What to do:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mix well. 

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pureed pumpkin and oil using low setting. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Slowly fold in the chocolate chips in the batter.

Pour batter into a greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cooling racks.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. If you don't want too much chocolate chips, reduce the amount to 3/4 cups.
2. Too oily for you? Use half oil and half apple sauce.
3. To prevent the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom, toss them in flour before folding into the batter.
4. Add half a teaspoon of vanilla for enhanced flavor.
5. You can also use canned pumpkins for this recipe.

By the way, I want to share with you a sample of this cute "Thanksgiving Hand Print" trivet we made in class. We used acrylic paint and floor tiles. What makes it so special is that the print you see is really the hand print of the child. Such a precious keepsake! I am truly blessed to be teaching in Kindergarten. It is a very special and wonderful time. :-)

From this....                                  to this!

Click for larger image