Christmas Chocolate Bread

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Garnish:

Sprinkles

Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the applesauce and mix well. Stir in the eggs and beat one at a time. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract and combine.

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine well using the hand mixer at low speed for a few minutes. Finally, add the chocolate chips and nuts and combine.

Butter and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Pour the batter in the pan and bake in a preheated 350 F oven. Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes approximately. At minute 45, cover with a piece of aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick spray.

The bread is ready when a toothpick that has been inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Invert on a wire rack and cool completely.

Mix the glaze ingredients. Drizzle over the bread. Garnish with the sprinkles.

Makes 8 slices