Hey there, Pumpkin!

Sunny's Favorite Pumpkin Bread

1 C Vegetable shortening

2-1/2 C Sugar

3 Eggs

2 C Canned Pumpkin (One 15 oz can)

2 C All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Nutmeg

1 tsp Allspice

1/2 tsp Ground Clove

1 tsp Ground Ginger

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 C Mini Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350. Either grease and flour or use a baking spray to coat a 9x13 baking dish or 2 normal sized loaf pans.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine shortening, sugar, eggs, and salt. Beat on medium speed until fluffy.

Add canned pumpkin and mix until combined.

Add all spices, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix until just combined.

Gradually mix in flour until combined with all wet ingredients.

Remove from stand and stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Spread the batter into either the baking dish or loaf pans.

If baking in the baking dish, it will take about 55 minutes to cook.

If using loaf pans, it should take about an hour.

Bread is done when a toothpick comes out of the middle clean.

Let cool before cutting into squares or slicing loaves.

It is important that you do not overcook this bread! It is a very decadent, moist quick bread that is the epitome of everything fall!

---

As with all of my recipes, recipe first, talk second!

I have a confession. I am not a pumpkin spice fan. Not the lattes, not the pie, and goodness certainly not the candles!!! Food scented candles turn my stomach! This bread is the exception to my pumpkin spice dislike. In all honesty, I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't share this recipe with you! With October creeping up on us at a rapid speed, this is absolutely the best way to have pumpkin in my world! It will make you the rock star of any potluck, and I've seriously never met anyone that didn't agree to "maybe just a small piece!"

Back in 2000, my mother made my sister and I cookbooks that contained all sorts of recipes that she had gathered over the years. This is one of those treasured recipes. It is credited to a lady named Norma Russell. Now, I have no idea who Norma is, but I have to give it to her - I have never had better pumpkin bread! I also need to mention that baking this delicious bread will make your house smell absolutely amazing! I'm seriously drooling as I type because there is a pan of this goodness in the oven right this very second!

The original recipe did not call for ground cloves, ground ginger, or chocolate chips. Those are adjustments that I made a good 10 years ago, and have never reverted back to the original recipe! I've made it both ways and the overwhelming feedback is that those three magical ingredients really put it over the top!

If you prefer, you could absolutely substitute nuts of some sort for the chocolate chips. Also, the original recommendation was to cook this in 2 coffee cans. It's getting trickier and trickier to find metal coffee cans these days! I much prefer the cake pan method anyway. This is seriously dessert! Or breakfast. Or a snack. However you enjoy it, it's definitely a whole pumpkin spice vibe!

I remember making this recipe when I was growing up, and I think it definitely played a roll in my love of baking! I hope you enjoy this chocolate studded blast of fall!