Chocolate and pumpkin flavors are combined in this sweet-spiced quick bread. Here, rather than my usual pumpkin bread recipe, I have blended cream cheese and chocolate together so that the chocolate stands alone in the pumpkin batter. To achieve the swirl effect, I use a skewer to streak the chocolate cream cheese through the batter.

This bread is a welcome holiday treat for breakfast, afternoon tea or for dessert with sliced ripe pears. You can also make small-sized versions of this quick bread in smaller disposable containers and give them as gifts to some parents of trick-or-treaters. Just make sure to bake them for about 20 to 25 minutes or until just cooked through and leave plenty of time for cooling.

Since the recipe doubles perfectly, make two loaves. Make sure to replace baking soda and powder every six months for proper rising. Don’t overmix the batter or the bread will toughen. You can bake one loaf for eating now, and stick another in the freezer for last minute occasions.

I’ve also included a recipe for a pumpkin chocolate bread pudding, another sweet treat for the season. It’s another great option for a crowd, too, if you have any type of gathering.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Loaf

Serves 12

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces

4 ounces softened cream cheese

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

2. Combine the flour, baking soda and powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together.

3. Us an electric mixer to beat the butter in a large bowl until softened. Add the sugar and continue beating. Add the eggs and beat until well blended. Add the pumpkin, vanilla and finally the flour mixture, beating just until well blended. Set aside.

4. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler on medium-high heat until totally melted, about 5 minutes. Or melt in a medium size glass bowl in the microwave for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until completely melted and smooth. Add the cream cheese to the warm chocolate mixture and mix together with a spoon, until completely smooth.

5. Spoon half of the batter into the loaf pan. Drop spoonfuls of half of the chocolate mixture on top of the batter and then swirl the chocolate into the batter with the point of a knife or wooden skewer. Repeat with the remaining batter and chocolate, making sure to swirl the chocolate into the pumpkin well.

6. Bake the loaf for about 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean in the center. Start checking at 50 minutes. Let the loaf cool at least 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature in slices.

Pumpkin Chocolate Bread Pudding

Serves 8 to 12

For the custard:

4 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

3 cups half and half

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the bread pudding:

1 loaf of Pumpkin Chocolate Loaf

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small chunks

3/4 cup whipped cream or crème fraiche, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter a 2-quart shallow oval or round baking dish. Place the dish in a larger pan that will act as a bain marie or water bath.

2. For the custard, in a mixer bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and egg yolks until they are frothy. Slowly add the sugar and beat the mixture until it is thick and lemon colored. Add the pumpkin puree and half and half to the egg mixture, reducing the speed to low. Add the vanilla extract and the pumpkin pie spice.

3. Slice the pumpkin chocolate loaf into 1/8-inch slices and place the slices overlapping to fill the baking dish.

4. Ladle the custard mixture over the pumpkin bread slices until the baking dish is filled to the top. Place the chocolate chunks all around the pudding, making sure that they are evenly distributed.

5. Pour enough boiling water around the larger baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Place the pudding in the oven and bake it for 40-45 minutes.

6. Open the oven using heavy oven mitts and with a large spoon push the bread down. The liquid custard will rise. With the spoon, evenly redistribute the custard over the bread slices if necessary. Bake for about 10 more minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out barely clean. Remove the pudding from the oven, sprinkle it with powdered sugar and cut it into squares. Serve with creme fraiche or whipped cream, if desired.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including “Seriously Simple Parties,” and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)

©2024 Diane Rossen Worthington. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.