Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf

**A necessary re-post from the archives...time to make the pumpkin loaf!**

Every fall I get an uncontrollable urge to bake with canned pumpkin.  This urge is similar to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving and Diet Coke with french fries.

I feel one cannot exist without the other. 

Yesterday, armed with canned pumpkin, I baked my favorite pumpkin loaf.  I also have neglected to purchase Eggo's all week.  Pumpkin loaf makes a killer quick breakfast when Eggo's are not available.

Waste no time baking this because it is delicious and fairly healthy.  And tomorrow morning you could be sitting down to toasted chocolate chip pumpkin loaf, moist with melted butter and dusted with powdered sugar.

You will have died and gone to pumpkin loaf heaven.

This recipe makes two loaves (I'm all about sharing) or one loaf and twelve muffins.  I freeze the muffins for later consumption.

3 cups sugar
1 cup applesauce
3 eggs
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
dash salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips (mini or regular)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour loaf pans/muffin tins.

Mix sugar, applesauce and eggs.  Add pumpkin.

Slowly blend dry ingredients.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake loaf 35-45 minutes, until center is done.  Muffins bake approximately 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!