Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Ripple

I was very pleased how this pumpkin harvest bread from Cookie madness turned out. I think the chocolate ripple looks like a big smile. It's like the bread is glad to have chocolate in it's belly. I'm not sure how the ripple wound up looking like this. A truly happy accident! I first tried the chocolate pumpkin combo in cookies about 2 years ago. I thought the fusion of flavors was peculiar. I'm glad I got over my self and gave it a whirl. Pumpkin and chocolate are best buds. This bread is no exception.

I was surprised that this bread wasn't more moist. Don't misunderstand me, this bread was by no means dry. I'm used to quick bread that contains zucchini or banana. They tend to be very moist, sometimes a bit too moist. Does anyone else have that problem? By day three, the fruit based quick bread I make always gets sticky and gooey. Maybe it's just me.

The next time I make this I'm going to try it in mini loaves. That way I can freeze some and not gorge myself by eating half a loaf for breakfast!

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Ripple from Cookie Madness
2 cups all purpose flour (9 oz)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk
2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin (or sweet potato)
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
2 1/2 oz melted chocolate — bittersweet

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×5" metal loaf pan with flour-added cooking spray. Mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, clovers and ginger; set aside. Mix oil, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and pumpkin in a mixing bowl. Stir in flour mix. Before flour mix is completely mixed in, add nuts. Spoon out 1 c pumpkin mix and stir it with melted chocolate. Layer 1/2 pumpkin mix in pan. Spread chocolate batter over te pumpkin batter then top with final layer of pumpkin batter. Bake on center rack for 55 minutes.