French Fridays with Dorie - Savory Smoked Cheddar and Chive Bread with Walnuts

Here I am again, baking savory bread from Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. I haven't turned my nose up at any of the weekly recipes since joining French Fridays with Dorie, because they have all been interesting, tempting, and ultimately enjoyable. Our appreciative friends and hungry boys at work seem to agree. John adores bread, and he made sure I was making this loaf.

In France, savory "cake" is often served with aperitifs, but a lightly toasted and buttered slice pairs especially well with a salad. I could use an aperitif right about now...although I just ate lunch. I could use a digestif right about now.

Dorie's Savory Cheese and Chive Bread is made with Gruyere, Comte, Emmenthal or cheddar cheese, minced fresh chives, and optional toasted walnuts. But there are endless variations, substituting different cheeses, herbs, and nuts, and choosing from various add-ins, such as ham, bacon, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and shallots. Preparation and baking time totals only about an hour.

I used smoked cheddar cheese, chives and red walnuts in my version; unfortunately, you can't see the beautiful color of the red walnuts. There's grated cheese and little diced pieces of cheese, for more cheesy flavor and texture. Although I'm not a beer drinker, I think a slice of this smokey, slightly salty bread would taste great with a cold beer.

I'm going to keep this one in mind for picnics, cocktail parties, or as a hostess gift. And for John, to go with his beer.

This bread is very similar to another favorite savory bread I've blogged about previously, Chorizo, Sun-dried Tomato and Pistachio Bread.  This is a winner also - a bit heartier and spicier with the chorizo. Both are very pretty, colorful loaves.

And, If you prefer savory cookies over savory cakes, I strongly recommend these Pistachio-Orange Cocktail Cookies, also made with cheese and nuts.

French Fridays with Dorie members are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes. This Cheddar Chive Bread is already plastered all over the web, but I still encourage you to purchase Dorie's cookbook. I've already prepared next week's recipe, a unique pasta, so I'm ahead of the game!