Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Our friends here in Hawaii are hosting a going away party for us tonight. I can't show up empty handed so I am going to bring along a dessert. For some strange reason I have been in the mood for pumpkin lately so I am making some Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread to take along. It is perfectly sweet, so if you use sweetened shredded coconut, make sure to reduce the brown sugar.

Yield: One 9"x5" loaf, 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a 9"x5" loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla extract and eggs. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just incorporated. Stir in walnuts, chocolate chips and coconut.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

Based loosely on Pumpkin Bread IV.