Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
To take this pumpkin bread to the next level, serve with homemade Maple Butter.
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups chocolate chips
1 to 2 teaspoons flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour the baking pans, shaking off any excess flour; set aside.
Place the sugar, oil, pumpkin, water and eggs in a large bowl. Use the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer also works) and beat on medium speed until well combined.
In a separate bowl, use a whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a small bowl, lightly toss the chocolate chips with 1 to 2 teaspoons of flour, just to coat, shaking off any excess. This will help keep the chips from falling to the bottom of the bread as it bakes.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Pour the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pans until about two-thirds full. Place pans in the center rack of the oven and bake, 1 hour for large loaves or about 45 to 50 minutes for small loaves. Insert a toothpick into the center of each loaf to check for doneness – if it comes out crumb-free, the bread is ready.
Remove from oven and cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing loaves to a wire rack to cool completely.
To store, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a week, or place wrapped loaves in a plastic freezer bag and freeze for several months.