Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Loaf

Yield: 12 servings

1 ¾ cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch nonstick loaf pan.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt and stir together.

3. In a large bowl, with electric mixer, beat butter until softened. Add sugar and continue beating. Add eggs and beat until well-blended. Add pumpkin, vanilla and finally the flour mixture, beating just until well-blended.

4. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium-high heat until melted, about 5 minutes. Or melt in a glass bowl in microwave for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes, or until melted and smooth.

5. Spoon half the batter into prepared loaf pan. Drop spoonfuls of half the chocolate on top of batter and then swirl chocolate into batter with a wooden skewer. Repeat with remaining batter and chocolate, making sure to swirl chocolate into pumpkin well (but leaving very visible streaks).

6. Bake loaf in preheated oven about 1 hour or until skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Let loaf cool at least 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, sliced.