Fabulous for Thanksgiving!
I made this the other day for Janet and Eric Chavez Santiago who were visiting from Oaxaca and they inhaled it. We even toyed with the idea of starting a bakery just because this is SO delicious! The Oaxaca chocolate adds a dark chocolate-cinnamon-almond bite to excite usually boring pumpkin bread. For a special treat, serve with vanilla ice cream.
Step One: Stir Together Dry Ingredients
1 ¾ cups pre-sifted white flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup dark or golden raisins
½ cup Oaxacan chocolate, coarsely chopped
Step Two: Combine Milk and Vanilla — Set Aside
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Step Three: Cream Together …
5 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth using a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin and beat on low speed until just blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and vanilla mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir until smooth.
Step Four: Spray and Bake
Using spray cooking oil, lightly spray a loaf pan. Line with parchment paper. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about one hour.