Aunt Lucille's Orange-Spice Chocolate and Pumpkin Bread

By Dglmedia

Ingredients

• 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 8 ounces peeled and grated raw pumpkin or butternut squash (about 2 cups), or same quantity of canned pumpkin
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 ounces Green & Black's Maya Gold chocolate, chopped

Details

Servings 14

Preparation

Step 1

Use: 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush loaf pan with some melted butter and dust with flour. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, then add grated pumpkin and mix well.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and all spices, and stir into pumpkin mixture alternating with water, until everything is incorporated.
Spoon about half of batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle about half of chocolate pieces on top of batter then cover with remaining batter. Dig into batter with spoon, parting to form trench along top of loaf, and fill with remaining chocolate, letting some of chocolate remain on top of loaf. Smooth over hole with spoon.
Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour. (Length of baking time depends on how moist pumpkin is; may need to bake a little longer.) Cover with foil after 30 minutes to prevent burning. Test by inserting skewer into center: if it comes out clean (although there might be melted chocolate left on skewer), loaf is cooked. Turn onto wire rack and let cool before serving.

Preparation Time
30 minutes

Cook Time
50 minutes to 1 hour

Makes: 1 loaf (14 slices)