Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

My mum was a great home cook. She almost always had something freshly baked for me and my brothers and sisters to eat when we got home from school and if there was anything left, a little slice of it went into our lunch boxes the next day. I guess I learned by example, as I do much the same for my boys. I spent many afternoons with her in the kitchen watching her bake and chatting to her endlessly. When I grew up, she once said to me that whenever she creamed butter and sugar together, she thought of me. Now, whenever I cream butter and sugar together, I think of her.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

For the Bread:
170g plain flour
5 digestive biscuits blitzed to fine crumbs in a food processor (should give you 1/2 cup biscuit crumbs)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

For the Drizzle:
70g dark chocolate chopped and melted

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 23cm x 13cm loaf pan with baking paper. Set aside.

Put the flour, biscuit crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl and stir together. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, honey, oil, buttermilk and egg together until well combined. Pour this into the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45- 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cool, drizzle the melted dark chocolate over the top and leave it to set for 20 - 30 minutes before slicing.