I saw a photo of these appetizer cakes all lined up like a log cabin in the New York Times in an article by Dorie Greenspan. The photo and the recipe captured my attention and I decided to try them. But I only had some of the ingredients. I decided to go more savory and substituted kalamata olives for the original recipe’s figs.
In France they serve these cakes with wine as an aperitif. That works for me. I uncorked a bottle or rosé, took small bites of these cakes and decided to pass them on to you.
They are ideal served with nuts and perfect for a cheese board, or even served with finger sandwiches for a tea. You can cut them any way you like, but I think slices are best. Although the photo is captivating cut into logs, I think they work better served in thick slices.
Feel free to adapt and substitute ingredients as you like, just be sure to keep the flour, baking powder, eggs, milk and oil the same. The honey goes great with goat cheese, but if you swap cheeses, you can substitute the honey for another sweetener. Sun-dried tomatoes would be a nice addition and basil makes a good sub for parsley. Or you can make them sweeter by adding dried apricots and figs or dried cherries or cranberries. Go ahead and play. Make them sweet or savory. The flavors are up to you.
Goat Cheese & Olive Quick Bread
4 ounces very cold soft goat cheese
1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut in half
⅓ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, at room temperature
⅓ cup whole milk, lukewarm
⅓ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon orange zest
Arrange rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8- to 9-inch loaf pan with baking spray (or butter the pan).
Cut the goat cheese into 1/2-inch pieces. It’s a sticky, messy job, so don’t aim for perfection. Refrigerate the cheese until needed.
In a small bowl, toss together the olives, parsley, rosemary and thyme; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Working in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the milk, oil and honey.
Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture, and, using a sturdy spatula, stir until the dough is almost blended. You’ll still see streaks of flour, and that’s fine. Scatter the olive mixture over the dough, and then cover with the chilled bits of goat cheese. Grate the zest of the orange over the cheese. Using as few strokes as possible, stir everything together. Once again, it might not be perfect, and, once again, that’s fine. Scrape the dough into the pan, and use the spatula to poke the dough into the corners and to even the bumpy top.
Bake for 34 to 38 minutes or until the top is golden, the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, and, most important, a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Unmold the cake onto a rack, turn it right side up and let it cool. You can serve the cake when it’s slightly warm (it’s not so easy to cut then, but it’s delicious) or when it is at room temperature. Cut into thick slices.
To make ahead: Wrapped well, the cake will keep for a day or two at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings.
