Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I had the pleasure of attending a presentation given by Mel from Mel's Kitchen Cafe in the fall. She was speaking to an audience of college students, so she focused on strategies to get started cooking, when you have limited space and a limited budget. Though I'm years and years past my college days (!) Mel inspired me to stay in the cooking game. Most of the time I feel good about my attempts to cook most days, even simply, but some days and weeks I struggle.

I like to eat a variety of tasty and healthy food, but it is difficult to feed a growing family well amidst work, kids' activities, and varying tastes. As you all know, cooking involves planning, shopping, execution, and cleanup! It just plain requires a significant time commitment, even when you apply expert advice like Mel's. But I fight the daily and weekly fight because I think it's worth it--for our health, for our environment, for our pocketbook, and for the development of important hands-on life skills. And because I believe in the power of sitting down together to eat with the people you love. 

With that little manifesto over, here's a recipe from Mel that seems more suited to the fall than the winter. (You can see from the picture that I didn't try it until December myself!) But I think it's good enough to enjoy anytime!

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, High Altitude (4500 feet)

Adapted from the sea level recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Yields 3 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaves

365 g (approximately 2 c + scant 3/4 c) flour

146 g (approximately 1 c + 1 T) white whole wheat flour

464 g (approximately 2 1/4 c + 1 heaping T) sugar

2 teas baking soda

2 teas cinnamon

1 teas nutmeg

1 teas salt

2 c dark chocolate chips (use your preference of chocolate here)
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 c canola, vegetable, avocado, or melted coconut oil

4 large eggs

2/3 c water or buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 3 loaf pans. (Mel says you could use 2 9 x 5 inch pans instead.) 

Mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and chocolate chips in a large bowl. 

Whisk together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, and water/buttermilk in a medium bowl until well combined. Then stir the wet ingredients into the dry, until barely combined, no more. 

Pour the batter into the loaf pans and bake for 50-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the pans sit outside the oven for 10-15 minutes, then run a knife gently around the edge before placing the bread on a cooling rack to cool completely. 

I didn't try this but Mel says the bread freezes well. Wrap a loaf in plastic wrap then tin foil before freezing.