PUMPKIN LOAF RECIPE

It is time my people, to add some cooking into the mix - well, technically baking. 

What you talkin 'bout Willis??  You don't cook on the bloggamy webthing!

Well, in my quest on Facebook www.facebook.com/healthynationnz to bring you my top 50 ways to use Coconut Oil, food obviously had to make an appearance, and I do believe little one, it's easier to put a recipe up in this format so ya can read it easier, than on a FB post.

So now you have your head around that . .
today we are bringing you a luuurvalie Pumpkin Loaf, using coconut oil instead of butter (I use Blue Coconut oil)

Health purists may want to turn away - while I have tweaked the original to be a little healthier, it still contains some sugar *gasp* (but less than the original and if you have a sweet pumpkin it could be dropped a little more) and standard flour and chocolate.  Obviously you can swap the sugar out for an appropriate Stevia if you want to make it better again, and you could also swap the chocolate chips for walnut pieces.

So here is the finished product (please note - not a food stylist, or photographer) - nor am I a particularly good baker, but hey, we must all give things a shot

Oven 350F or 180C - grease a loaf pan

1 3/4c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp all spice (pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C coconut oil
1 C sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C pureed pumpkin (room temp)
3/4 C chopped up dark chocolate   OR
    1/2 C chocolate chips or 1/2 C walnut pieces

In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, spice and salt

In another bowl cream coconut oil and sugar until light and fluffy - add eggs one at a time, then add puree and vanilla
NOTE - when using coconut oil add other ingredients in at room temperature or the coconut oil will solidify a bit much.

Mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined - mix through chocolate chips or walnut pieces
ALTERNATIVE - melt the chopped up chocolate - put half loaf mix in tin and swirl some of the melted chocolate through (use a skewer to do swirling) - add rest of loaf mix and repeat swirling with remaining chocolate

Bake approx 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

Can be served warm as a dessert or room temp as a cake

If you want to know more about Blue coconut go visit them at www.discovercoconut.co.nz