Month: November 2024
Cheese Pairing with Festive Desserts: Unexpected Combos that Work
Cheese Pairing Ideas For Festive Desserts: Unexpected Combos that Work
Cheese pairing isn’t just about cheese and crackers as part of your snacks—it can bring an exciting twist to your dessert table, too! Pairing cheese with festive sweets creates unique flavor experiences that enhance both sweet and savory elements.
Explore unexpected cheese pairing combinations like sharp cheddar with apple pie or creamy blue cheese with dark chocolate. Plus, try out a cheerful dessert board.
In this article we share cheese pairing ideas with gingerbread cookies, whipped apple butter, goat cheese (Chevin), candy canes, and seasonal fruits for an easy-to-assemble, crowd-pleasing spread.
A Festive Dessert Cheese Board with Gingerbread, Whipped Apple Butter, Goat Cheese & More
For a truly festive dessert board, bring together traditional holiday flavors with a fun mix of treats. Start with gingerbread cookies for a spiced and sweet base that pairs well with creamy cheeses.
Next, add a small bowl of whipped apple butter for a sweet, smooth spread. This is especially delicious when combined with goat cheese (Chevre). Goat’s cheese has a mild tanginess contrasts beautifully with the sweet apple butter and spicy gingerbread.
Round out the board with some seasonal flair by adding mini candy canes and fresh holiday fruits like pomegranate arils, clementines, and red grapes. These fruits add a burst of color and juicy sweetness that complements the other items on the board.
With these exciting cheese and dessert pairings, your holiday dessert spread will be as unique as it is delicious.
Cheddar and Apple Pie
The pairing of Canadian aged cheddar cheese with apple pie is a classic that has stood the test of time.
The sharp, salty taste of cheddar complements the sweetness and warmth of spiced apple filling. This combination creates a perfect balance of flavors.
For this pairing, go for a sharp or aged cheddar. It offers a strong, complex flavor that won’t get lost against the apple pie’s sweetness.
Serve small wedges of cheddar alongside individual slices of apple pie or mini hand pies for easy enjoyment.
You could also get creative by baking shredded cheddar directly onto the crust for an elevated version of this beloved pairing. Another fun idea is to serve apple and cheddar skewers—alternate cubes of cheddar with apple slices for a tasty, bite-sized treat.
Blue Cheese and Dark Chocolate
Blue cheese and dark chocolate might seem like an unexpected match, but their rich flavors complement each other beautifully. The earthy, slightly tangy flavor of blue cheese plays well with the bold bitterness of dark chocolate.
On your dessert board, break the dark chocolate into small pieces and place them next to a wedge of blue cheese. Or, create small bites by spreading a little blue cheese on top of dark chocolate squares.
You could also get creative by making dark chocolate truffles with a hint of blue cheese in the center—an adventurous twist for your holiday spread!
Beer Cheese and Fig Jam
Beer cheese and fig jam is a gentle, crowd-pleasing pairing that brings joy to any dessert table. The mild, buttery flavor of beer cheese pairs beautifully with the sweetness of our housebrand fig jam, which adds a hint of earthy complexity.
For this pairing, simply place a dollop of fig jam on each slice of beer cheese, or serve the cheese and fig jam side by side for easy spreading.
This combination works beautifully with fresh figs, sliced pears, or crackers.
Wrapping It Up
We have the most incredible cheese selective available for you to browse. Don’t miss our meats and accompaniments too!
Thanksgiving Cheese Ideas For Kids
Thanksgiving Cheese Ideas for Kids
If you’re hunting for Thanksgiving cheese ideas for kids, we’ve got you! When setting up the Thanksgiving table, cheese is an easy and popular snack choice. Typically, kids love cheese just as much as adults, so don’t leave them out!
This year, try out one or two of these fun and easy Thanksgiving cheese ideas for kids. Choose snacks that are festive, tasty, and perfect for little hands.
Cheese Turkeys
Cheese turkeys are a playful way to bring a touch of Thanksgiving spirit to snack time. To make these adorable treats, all you need are cheese rounds, veggie slices, and pretzel sticks.
Here’s how to create your own cheesy turkeys:
- Prepare the cheese rounds: choose something like Brick cheese that you can slice and can into rounds. This works well for this project. Place one cheese round per turkey on a platter.
- Add pretzel “feathers”: insert small pretzel sticks into the top half of the cheese round to create feather-like fanning behind the turkey’s head.
- Decorate with veggies: use a small slice of carrot for the turkey’s beak and black olives or edible markers for eyes.
- Add “wattles”: a small piece of red pepper or dried cranberry works perfectly to give your turkey that Thanksgiving charm.
Kids can even help assemble their own cheese turkeys, adding a personal touch to the display. Arrange the turkeys on a tray with additional veggie sticks and crackers to create a Thanksgiving-themed snack platter that’s both fun and delicious.
Mini Cheese Logs
Cheese sticks are a holiday classic, but turning them into mini versions on a stick makes them extra fun and easy for kids to enjoy.
These bite-sized treats are perfect for little hands, and the different coatings give each one a unique flavor and look. Here’s how to make your own platter of mini cheese balls on a stick.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese or goat’s cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Toppings for rolling (chopped nuts, dried cherries, fresh herbs like parsley or chives)
- Mini skewers
Instructions
- Make the cheese mixture: In a bowl, combine the cream or goat’s cheese, shredded cheddar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well until everything is evenly combined and smooth.
- Form the cheese logs: Use a spoon to scoop small portions of the cheese mixture, then roll each into a oblong log shape with your hands.
- Roll in toppings: Set out small bowls of your toppings (chopped nuts, dried cranberries, herbs) and roll each cheese ball in your choice of coating. For a festive look, create a variety platter by using different toppings for different balls.
- Assemble with sticks: Insert a toothpick or mini skewer into each cheese log to make it easy for kids to grab.
Arrange the mini cheese logs on a platter, alternating between the different coatings to create a colorful display. These little snacks are perfect for a Thanksgiving party or a family gathering, giving kids the chance to try new flavors while enjoying a familiar treat.
Cheese and Fruit Kabobs
If your kids like fruit, adding it to cheese on a kabob is a surefire way to make it even more appealing. Use cubes of mild cheese, like cheddar or mozzarella, and pair them with kid-friendly fruits like grapes, strawberries, or pineapple.
Simply thread the cheese and fruit onto small skewers or toothpicks, alternating between the two for a fun and nutritious snack. This snack is quick to assemble and can be tailored to include your kids’ favorite fruits.
These kid-friendly cheese snacks bring holiday joy to the table with minimal fuss and lots of fun. They’re easy to make, visually festive, and, best of all, they help make holiday gatherings more inclusive and enjoyable for everyone—even the smallest guests!
Wrapping It Up
We hope this post brought you some family fun inspiration! Don’t forget to check out our selection of cheeses here, plus our selection of accompaniments.
