This is for Gayle's request for pumpkin bread in Tuesday's (Oct 20) newsletter. This is a cook-off recipe I got over 35 years ago. It is a tradition and a mainstay for over the holidays! This bread is great, it has chocolate in it, doesn't it?

Pumpkin Nut Bread

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

*If desired 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice may be substituted for spices.

Grease bottom of 9x5 inch loaf pan. Combine flour with soda, salt, and spices. Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, cream well. Blend in eggs; beat well. At low speeds add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Turn batter into loaf pan. Bake at 350?F for 65 to 70 minutes. Cool.

Batter for two loaves (doubled recipe) can be put into a well oiled and flowered bundt pan instead. If you do use a bundt pan, sprinkle chopped nuts in bottom of bundt pan before adding batter. Tastes great and makes a nice presentation. You also can saturate a cheesecloth with rum and wrap the bread in it. Let stand 2 to 4 weeks splashing more rum on every once in a while if you wish. Wrap in a dish towel and place in plastic for storage until serving
Marge from Stillwater

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http://www.nancyskitchen.com