Pumpkin Bread

October has passed and I haven't shared my favorite pumpkin bread recipe.  This year I couldn't even wait until October 1st to make my first loaf.  My little family loves this bread with the addition of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  It is especially delicious warm out of the oven when each bite has little bits of melted chocolate goodness.  Today, when Noah and Preston finished eating a slice, the evidence (melted chocolate) was all around their mouths!

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups canned pumpkin

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2/3 cup water

2 heaping cups chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans.

In a large bowl combine sugar and oil and mix well.  Add eggs and pumpkin; mix well.  Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.  Add flour mixture alternately with water to the pumpkin mixture, ending with flour.  Stir in chocolate chips if using.  Pour into greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine usually doesn't take this long).  Tent loaves with foil if they begin to brown too much.