Quick breads and muffins are such a great bake to make with kids. Not only are they simple enough to pull together with lots of little helping hands, but they really come in handy when you need a quick breakfast or snack for hungry tummies.

I’ve been making this bread every fall for the past several years. To me it’s a perfect and decadent autumn treat because it has those warming spices - cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves - and earthy pumpkin that really celebrate the season, and it has the added richness that all us chocoholics crave. While chocolate might seem like an unconventional pairing with pumpkin and spice, I really like the combination. However, if you’re looking for a little more traditional pumpkin loaf, feel free to substitute the chocolate in this recipe for chopped pecans or walnuts instead.

Technically quick breads are really straight forward to make. Just be mindful that you thoroughly sift your dry ingredients together so the spices and leavening agents are fully incorporated. This will guarantee a nice, consistently flavored crumb and even rise. Also avoid over-mixing the batter after you incorporate the flour as it can make your bread more dense; mix just until all the clumps of flour are incorporated. Finally, be sure to butter and line your baking pan well with parchment paper. The bread will stick to your pan, so a good layering of parchment and butter will ensure crisp, clean edges without any additional stress.

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread freezes beautifully wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil, so it’s great to bake in advance. I like to make two of these, one to enjoy immediately and one to save for Halloween or Thanksgiving morning. Simply take the bread out to thaw and place it on the counter the night before you want to serve it. You will wake up the next morning to a delicious, homemade, and festive treat (always a welcome gift, especially when you’ve got a busy day of costume making or turkey baking and no energy to spare on breakfast).

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread - makes one Loaf

Equipment:

• 9 X 5 in. loaf pan

• Handheld electric mixer

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp. fresh orange zest

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1/4 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp. each ground ginger, allspice, and cloves

• 3/4 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 2/3 cups canola oil

• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously butter and line loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl use a fork to thoroughly sift together the flour, cinnamon, orange zest, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, allspice, and cloves.

3. In a large mixing bowl use the electric mixer to beat the sugars, eggs, and vanilla together until well combined, about one - two minutes on medium-low speed.

4. Add the canola oil and pumpkin puree to the wet ingredients, and mix again on low speed for another minute until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix again on low until all the flour is just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before removing from the pan. Slice and serve on its own or spread with whipped cream cheese or salted butter.

Recipe adapted from the Washington Post