Pumpkin Applesauce Bread

After the pumpkin pie is baked, there is almost always leftover pumpkin for another use and this moist, fruity bread is a wonderful choice for that use. This bread is delicious for breakfast, tea or snacks. In our opinion, chocolate is a great addition to the bread so this is the way I will make it from now on. But, if you are not a fan of chocolate, the original recipe was written without this addition, so feel free to omit the chocolate chips. Blessings...

Recipe: 

2/3 cup shortening
2-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sugar-free applesauce
1 cup canned mashed pumpkin
3-1/3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup apple juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
2. Cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in the applesauce and the pumpkin.
4. Stir the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture alternately with the apple juice, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour into the prepared pans.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Begin checking at 1 hour to see how it is doing.

Yield: 2 loaves, 13 slices per loaf
2.6 gms. fiber per slice
Note: This bread freezes beautifully.