Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Ahhhh... fall. Cooler weather. Pumpkins, apples, squash, baking, soups, all my favorite things. I love summer weather, I love the heat, the grill, ice cream... but this summer was unlike any other I can remember. It must have been 90 degrees and humid every. single. day. My oven was feeling neglected. There was no break from it, and fall is now completely welcome.

This pumpkin bread was perfectly spiced, moist and delicious, with little studs of chocolately goodness.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 15 ounces)
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (I used the buttermilk substitute - just under 1/2 cup 2% milk, and about 1/2 tbsp vinegar)
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

2 cups milk-chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through allspice) in a bowl.

Place sugar, oil, buttermilk, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add 2/3 cup water and pumpkin, beating at low speed until blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into 2 (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans.

Cool completely on wire rack.