Currently, all baking at my house takes place during nap time.
(Because me facing the kitchen counter and not facing my baby girl is a short-lived situation.) Do you know what it's like to bake during naptime? I'm sure a lot of you do. It's fun, but it's very stealthy.

Her eyes are closed and her door is shut. You sneak about 10 steps away to the kitchen.
You peek into cupboard doors and start snatching bowls and supplies.You figure out how you can grab that wooden spoon from underneath the layer of kitchen utensils in the drawer without causing a commotion. You wrap the pan with foil as gingerly as possible, because people, foil is loud! Everything is taking about twice as long because you are tip-toeing-it around the kitchen, being careful.. so careful. Because it's really not the big noises that will wake her up, it's the tiniest little clatter.You're sure that any such clink or clang could be the one that breaks the spell. You open the oven, silently slide in the pan, close the oven door with bated breath. You wait... you listen.. no crying. Done! Success.
Now your deft hands can start on the dishes. :)

Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

adapted from the Best Banana Nut Bread
grain and dairy free

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

6 eggs, separated

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 to 3/4 cup honey (adjust to your taste)

2 tsp. vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup + 1 T. coconut flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg, ginger

1/8 tsp. allspice 

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips* 

*I used some Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips and I love them!! They're dairy, soy, and gluten free!

Set eggs on counter and let come to room temp. Separate the whites into a small bowl, add salt, and whip until frothy. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, pumpkin, melted oil, coconut milk, vinegar, honey and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and blend into the wet. Make sure to add coconut flour to the bowl through a fine strainer to get rid of any clumps. Stir in egg whites and chocolate chips. Scoop batter into a greased loaf pan. 

1. Cover pan with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

2. Uncover, continue baking for 15 minutes more. 

3. Turn off oven, but leave the bread in for another 30 minutes to allow the middle to finish cooking.
Serve with butter or some cream cheese with cinnamon and honey. 

This bread turned out rich and dense and pleasantly spicy. The fact that it's flecked with chocolate makes it 10x better. I'm not pumpkin-crazed in general, although I think it's wonderfully fragrant and cozy and nostalgic. But if you marry it with a little deep, dark chocolate.. yeah. I'm totally in. These two flavors belong together everywhere, in everything. 

Make this for yourself so that you aren't tempted by candy in a couple days. :)

I guarantee you will not care about a fun size snickers bar if you have a slice of this in your hands, spread liberally with butter or cream cheese.