Let’s be honest, if anyone is baking at this time of the year, it’s probably because they’re trying to distract themselves from the mounting pressures of school and life. Does my EECS major roommate have the time to make a whole apple pie on a Monday evening? No. But did she? Yes. Why? To distract herself from the looming presence of her many future projects, exams, and homework. Obviously, I’m happy about it because I have a nice, warm apple pie to come home to, but I do worry about her. She picked her poison, and it’s baking apple pies. So for those of you who use baking to cope with mental instability, here is another fall-related recipe that will hopefully get you through whatever project, exam or homework assignment that you are putting off by reading this article.

Ingredients:

Makes one loaf

• ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ⅓ cup milk
• ½ cup canola (or vegetable) oil
• ½ cup Nutella

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, pour in the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla and pumpkin puree. Whisk the wet ingredients for about 30 seconds and then add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients. 
4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones until just combined.
5. Line the bread pan with parchment paper and then pour half of the batter into the pan.
6. Heat the Nutella in the microwave for about 15 seconds and then drizzle half of it over the batter. Swirl the Nutella into the batter and then repeat with the remaining batter and Nutella.
7. Bake for one hour.

I really need you to enjoy this loaf because if you’re anything like my roommate, the outcome of this dessert may very well determine your mental state for the next week. Lucky for her, she’s an excellent baker and everything she makes is divine. I’m putting a lot of pressure on this single loaf of bread, but the point is, it’s important to take a step back when things get overwhelming and do something simple like bake some pumpkin Nutella bread.