Perfect Pumpkin Bread!
Madeleine Dee's Perfect Pumpkin Bread
This recipe is easy, reliable, and impossibly delicious. Best of all, there's very little fat - the moisture comes from unsweetened applesauce, so it's not as sinful as it seems. This is a recipe you'll want to hang onto forever!
Ingredients:
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 small (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2.25 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground/grated nutmeg
1.5 cups semisweet (dark) chocolate chips, a few pushed aside to sprinkle over the top
1. If you'll be making a large loaf or 2-3 small ones, heat the oven to 325*F. If you'll be making muffins, heat to 350*F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, pumpkin, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk just until combined. Do not over mix.
4. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, then pour the batter into a greased 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 inch Wilton loaf pan. Sprinkle the extra chocolate chips over the top and bake at 325*F until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with no orange batter stuck to it. It will have some chocolate on it no matter what. (If you make smaller loaves, wait until they look baked and then test the centers with a skewer or toothpick just the way you would with a large loaf!)
TO MAKE MUFFINS INSTEAD: Layer paper cups into a muffin tin, scoop the batter into each cup, top with a few chocolate chips, and bake at 350*F for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean of batter (it will be chocolatey).
5. Allow the loaf to rest in its pan for at least 30 minutes, then turn out onto a rack or platter to cool. Slice and enjoy! Be sure to keep it wrapped up once you cut into it. Fantastic warm or room temperature, especially with a steaming cup of cinnamon tea.
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VARIATIONS: If you don't like chocolate with pumpkin, you can skip the chocolate completely and simply make pumpkin bread. Even better, you could stir in 1.5 cups of whatever you like. For example: 1 cup cinnamon chips and 1/2 cup pecans. It's a fun and easy recipe - enjoy playing with it!
