Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Bread

Tis' the season for everything pumpkin! I could eat pumpkin 3 meals a day in some shape or form. Does anyone else have the same problem with me actually locating pumpkin at the grocery store? Is it with the canned fruit? The veggies? Over with the baking supplies? By the beer? It seems to rotate around in awkward places. If you're an ambitious sort, which I am depending on my mood and current schedule, I'll procure and prepare a pie pumpkin, which has an unparalleled flavor to its canned cousin. But if you're in a rush, or just don't wanna, a can will surely suffice, and no one will know but you in your heart of hearts. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I've got pumpkin on the brain BIG TIME. Since there will surely be no shortage of pie or other tantalizing orange tinted foods on the horizon, I decided to make some lovely Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread for our breakfasts for the next few days. It certainly could have been made with walnuts, but hey, we need a bit of dark chocolate in our diet each day to keep the doctor away, right?

Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Bread

-1/2 cup canola oil

-1 cup sugar

-2 eggs

-1 cup canned pumpkin

-2 cups flour

- 1 t. baking soda

-1 t. cinnamon

-1 t. ginger

-1/2 t. nutmeg

-1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions: 

-Grease 9x5 loaf pan and pre-heat oven to 350.

-In large bowl, mix butter, granulated sugar, eggs and pumpkin with whisk. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and spices. Stir in chocolate chips and spread in pan.

-Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

While some people like their quick breads hot out of the oven, it tends to squish the loaf and muddle all the flavors together. If you can be patient enough, try to just pop it out and let it cool at least 2 hours, but overnight is best because all the flavors come out after a day or so. A lovely little breakfast bread or anytime of day treat. I keep wanting to try this recipe as french toast but it never seems to survive that long.... Enjoy!