Pumpkin Chocolate Loaf - YUM

Sorry for the bad photo. My pictures haven't turned out great of late. At right is one of my helpers, Toulouse.

Not all of Wednesday's baking went wrong. Aidan and I made this wonderful Pumpkin Chocolate Loaf. The recipe can be found here. I used Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate and melted it in the microwave. I also used Pumpkin Pie Spice from Penzey's.

have never tried Pumpkin Bread due to my dislike for pumpkin pie and the smell of carved pumpkins. However, this was really delicious. It was an easy recipe and a keeper.

Pumpkin chocolate loaf

Butter and flour for pan
13/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
11/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch nonstick loaf pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until softened. Add the sugar and continue beating. Add the eggs and beat until well-blended. Add the pumpkin, vanilla and finally the flour mixture, beating just until well-blended.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler on medium-high heat until totally melted, about 5 minutes. Or melt in a glass bowl in the microwave for about 1½ to 2 minutes, or until completely melted and smooth.

Spoon half the batter into the loaf pan. Drop spoonfuls of half of the chocolate mixture on top of the batter and then swirl the chocolate into the batter with a wooden skewer. Repeat with the remaining batter and chocolate, making sure to swirl the chocolate into the pumpkin well.

Bake the loaf for about 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean in the center. Let the loaf cool at least 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature in slices. Makes 12 servings.