Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I made this awesome bread for Thanksgiving. Then I made it for no reason. Then for my husband's office party. Then for Christmas. It's the bread that keeps on giving!

I love pumpkin bread (and all things pumpkin) but the chocolate chips and walnuts add this delicious depth to it. The chocolate chips help keep everything moist and you can even sprinkle a few on top for added yum. Omit the nuts if you don't like them. This is adapted from a recipe I found on cooks.com.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
3/4 c. pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1/2 c. salted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger *
1/4 t. cloves *
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 1/3 c. flour
1 c. semisweet chocolate morsels
1 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat together pumpkin, eggs, and butter (save the butter wrapper to grease your pan). Add sugar. Mix in spices, salt, and baking soda. Add flour gradually, mixing well after each batch. Using a spatula, stir in chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Pour into greased 8 1/2 x 4 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, up to 1 hour 15 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean when done (unless you hit a chocolate chip!).

* I personally don't like the taste of either ginger or cloves, although they're traditional spices in pumpkin pie and other pumpkin desserts. Instead of these two, I add a bit more nutmeg, since it's the "spiciest" of the seasonings here.

Heaven.