Ingredients

• 1¾ 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 semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Butter and flour a 9 x 5-inch nonstick loaf pan.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda and power, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together.
4. 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.
5. 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 –2 minutes or until completely melted and smooth.
6. Spoon half of 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.
7. 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.

Tips

Quick Bread Tips

Serves 12 people.