Adventures in Eating: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

As summer closes and fall be­gins, the cooks of the southland welcome the new season with open arms. Harvest season is upon us and it beckons us back to our kitchens, tempting us with thoughts of pumpkin pies and suc­culent stuffed turkeys.

Fall marks the beginning of the holidays. It is a time for families and friends to gather indoors to en­joy each other, and of course, feast on the bounties the season has to offer.

As for myself, I can’t wait to visit the local pumpkin patch with my children. After picking out our favorite jack-o-lantern to be, I find a few extra for cooking and deco­ration (I adore pumpkins all over the house). In our house, we love to hollow them out and use them as punch bowls or dip holders! (And naturally, for carving into jack-o-lanterns.) After we carve the pumpkins, we wash the seeds and toss them with salt and then roast them in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes. A tasty treat for the holidays.

This month I have an incredi­ble pumpkin bread to share with you! The addition of chocolate chips seems to make the children and adults happy.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

1 2/3 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/3 cup butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup sherry
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Take a tablespoon of the flour and reserve for later use. Sift together flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cream butter with sugar until light, beat in eggs one at a time, add pumpkin. Mix flour and butter mixture together alternating as you go. Take the reserved flour and mix and coat chocolate chips. Then mix into batter. Pour batter into a greased, floured, and wax paper lined 9×5 in. pan. Bake at 350 deg. for 50 minutes or until done. Let cool five minutes.      Enjoy!

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