The concept of a savory quick bread showcasing goat cheese fascinated me. I trust cookbook author Dorie Greenspan’s recipes, so I gave it a try. Sweetness teamed with earthy tanginess.
The recipe is in Greenspan’s “Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty, and Simple” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and her description made be long for a slice. “No matter when I serve this easy nibble with its bits of goat cheese, a fair bit of mint, and more than a dash of ground black pepper, I imagine myself outdoors, at a garden party of a café terrace, with a glass of cold wine,” she wrote, adding that the wine would be a chilled rose. I’ve served it this summer on the patio, once accompanying a Salade Nicoise, another time teamed with a pureed cold soup.
In texture, it’s like a cross between a muffin and a sponge cake. Yield: 10 servings Butter or baker’s spray 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste 3 large eggs, room temperature 1/3 cup milk, room temperature 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably fruity 1 tablespoon honey Grated zest of 1 lemon 4 ounces soft goat cheese, cold, cut into small pieces (more or less 1/2-inch pieces) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1. Center oven rack to middle position and preheat it to 350 degrees.
Butter an 8- to 8 1/2-inch loaf pan or use baker’s spray. 2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, .