Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice
It's official, I miss my Virginia falls, however do you know what is better than a Virginia fall? A fall fishing trip with your sweet boyfriend and his family to Rockport, Texas. Okay... maybe it's not better, but between the fun we had and this pumpkin bread recipe, I'm thinking about those fall colors and the cool in the air a little less every day! Rockport is such a fun coast town, the air smells crisp and clean, the bait is fresh, the fishing is fun, and who doesn't want to spend the day waiting for a Whooping Crane to come in for a landing? I'm the type of person that prefers the coast in the fall and winter, I'm not really a "beach" person, so I love a cloudy, chilly coast weekend, and after traveling for work all last week, it was a perfect way to relax and unwind. A pole in one hand and a slice of fresh pumpkin bread in the other, can you think of anything better?
The pumpkin spice everything movement gets some flack, but I have to admit, I'm as basic as it comes in the fall. I want pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin crackers, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkin.
I also have this thing for breads without butter. In the past I've shared my recipes for banana bread and zucchini bread, both of which use applesauce instead of butter so you can feel a little less guilty when you eat the whole loaf!
While I was working on this pumpkin bread recipe, I thought to myself, "I should cut the butter in this one too!" I like to keep on trend, you know? The results are a moist and delicious low-fat(ish) pumpkin bread!
This is a great recipe to take to a friends-giving or make some mini loafs to give to your guests on the way out the door after you've had them over for dinner! It's a nice way to use pumpkin without being overly IN-YO-FACE pumpkin, and the dark chocolate chips bring a nice little surprise with each bite.
No Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
First and foremost, preheat your over to 350*. Next, mix together the dry ingredients.
Next the "wet" ingredients. You'll first "cream" the applesauce and sugars.
Finally, you add the eggs and the pumpkin.
Combine the wet and dry.
Add the dark chocolate chips and get ready for my next super secret tip!
The secret is not really super secret, and I didn't come up with it, but I did learn this handy tip from my grandmother. If you don't remember her, check out her awesome recipes for pork and tuna. Does anyone else hate lining pans, especially a loaf pan? If you do, try lining them this way, your hate will disappear, and you'll maybe even embrace pan lining.
Now you can pour the batter into the pans with out trying to keep the parchment in place!
Bake and enjoy!
PUMPKIN BREAD
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 can pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
dark chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a small bowl.
In a medium bowl, combine the sugars and applesauce, mix well.
Add two eggs to the sugar, applesauce mixture and whisk vigorously.
Next add the pumpkin and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.
Add the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.
Pour into two greased and lined loaf pans and bake for 45 to 55 minutes at 350 degrees.