Many of us are making fewer trips to the grocery store these days, and while safer, the Big Shop has some unintended consequences. As it gets closer to shopping day, the pantry empties out, and all that’s left are a few odd cans stashed in the back.

For me, it was canned pumpkin I bought for pies that I never got around to making. Faced with kids clamoring for “something sweet” and my desire to clean out the pantry, pumpkin bread was the obvious choice. This variation leaves out the traditional winter spices, opting instead for crowd-pleasing chocolate. It’s decadent and tastes like dessert, but it’s full of vitamins and fiber.

And, if you don’t have cans of pumpkin stashed away, this bread is also delicious substituting mashed ripe bananas or applesauce instead.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Yield: Makes 2 loaves

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups white wheat flour, (King Arthur brand is recommended)

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups cooked, pureed pumpkin or 1 15-ounce can pumpkin

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

4 eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Zest of 1 orange

1 cup oil

1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans generously.
2. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir well.
3. Combine pumpkin, sugars, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, orange zest and oil in a high-speed blender or in the bowl of an electric mixer.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into pans.
5. Bake 55-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack.