Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Nut Bread

Ingredients:

	3/4 cups (4-1/8 oz.) shortening or 1 cup (5-1/2ox.) vegetable oil
	2-2/3 cups (18-1/2 oz.) sugar
	4 large eggs
	2 cups pumpkin or squash (15 oz. can if you must) (not pumpkin pie filling)
	2/3 cup (5-1/4 oz.) water
	3-1/2 cups (13-3/4 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
	1/2 tsp. baking powder
	2 tsp. baking soda
	1-1/2 tsp. salt
	1 tsp. nutmeg
	1 tsp. vanilla extract
	1 cup (4 oz.) chopped walnuts or pecans
	1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350F
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening or oil and the sugar.
Beat in the eggs, pumpkin and water.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla, stirring the blend, then mix in the nuts and chips.
Spoon the batter into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans, or small loaf pan and muffin pan.
Bake the bread for 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of one loaf comes out clean.
Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack.
When it's completely cool, wrap the loaves well in plastic wrap and store it overnight before serving.*
If desired, just before serving, drizzle with icing made of 1 cup confectioners' or glazing sugar, 2 Tbsp. melted butter, and 1 Tbsp. milk.*

*We usually don't do this.

Makes: 2 loaves or 1 small loaf and dozen muffins

Prep: 15 minutes

Bake: about 1 hour

Nutrient value per serving (1 slice or 72g.)

245 calories, 12 g. of fat, 3g. protein, 11g. complex carbohydrate, 21 g. sugar, 1 g. dietary fiber, 200 mg. Sodium, 93 mg. potassium, 28mg cholesterol, 306RE vitamin A, 1 mg. vitamin C, 1 mg. iron, 21 mg. Calcium, 58 mg. Phosphorus.

Based on a recipe from "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion" The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook, 2003, p. 83.