Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Autumn has finally arrived, and nothing celebrates this colorful season better than our favorite orange veggie ...the pumpkin!

Ingredients:
3 cups granulated sugar
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C)

Grease and flour three 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, or 5-6 mini loaf pans

In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, vanilla extract and eggs, and beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl add the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt to the flour and stir with a whisk to break up any lumps.

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture in batches, blending after each addition until combined. Gently, fold in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). Bake for ~1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove pans from the oven and allow to cool for ~5 minutes. Remove bread from pans and cool on wire racks.

Do not allow it to completely cool in the pan, as it will become soggy