No offense to my other great dessert loves, carrot cake with orange-cream cheese frosting, or peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, but I've never been of the mindset that one needs to end the night with a sugary bang. Maybe just a light ka-boom.
For me, cheese supplies enough of that ka-boom. A little sweet, a little salty, and creamy and loving to everyone that it meets, cheese is its own dessert. Plus, it requires less time than carrot cake, souffles, cupcakes, tarts, and even fruit salad (if you count that as a dessert) to put together. Add a drizzle of honey, a slice of fig, or a spoonful of preserves, and the end of the night just got that much sweeter.
Here are eight of my favorite cheeses to serve at the end of meal, paired to wine or a decadent accoutrement. Play around, and mix these wine and pairing suggestions for a great cheese dessert of your own.
Kirstin Jackson is a professionally trained cook, wine bar manager and cheese program director, food and wine writer, consultant, and instructor, whose fridge and head is almost entirely consumed with cheese. Her cheese blog, "It's Not You, It's Brie," was launched in April 2009, and has since received accolades from Blogs.com, Foodista, and Apartment Therapy's The Kitchen.
Roquefort
1 of 9
FIRST SLIDE
PREVIOUS SLIDE
NEXT SLIDESHOW
We serve roquefort at work and every time a customer gets a piece, I get a piece too. It's only fair. We serve the sheep's milk wheel that's aged by French affineur Jean D'Alos, but if you go to a reputable cheesemonger, they can lead you to their own wonderful selection-- just be sure to taste their offerings; some Roqueforts are lackluster. My favorite combo for this raw milk blue is rose confit jelly, made with rose petals. I was blown away the first time I tried this duo, and you just might be too. Many gourmet markets carry a confit.
Photo by Flickr user: Pocheco
We serve roquefort at work and every time a customer gets a piece, I get a piece too. It's only fair. We serve the sheep's milk wheel that's aged by French affineur Jean D'Alos, but if you go to a reputable cheesemonger, they can lead you to their own wonderful selection-- just be sure to taste their offerings; some Roqueforts are lackluster. My favorite combo for this raw milk blue is rose confit jelly, made with rose petals. I was blown away the first time I tried this duo, and you just might be too. Many gourmet markets carry a confit.
We serve roquefort at work and every time a customer gets a piece, I get a piece too. It's only fair. We serve the sheep's milk wheel that's aged by French affineur Jean D'Alos, but if you go to a reputable cheesemonger, they can lead you to their own wonderful selection-- just be sure to taste their offerings; some Roqueforts are lackluster. My favorite combo for this raw milk blue is rose confit jelly, made with rose petals. I was blown away the first time I tried this duo, and you just might be too. Many gourmet markets carry a confit.
Photo by Flickr user: Pocheco
Me too - I love cheese and fruit together. I tried a semi-sweet chevre (with cranberries and butter-toasted almonds mixed in, and brought to room temp) not too long ago, on plain toast rounds...so good!
CynAnne: Me too - I love cheese and fruit together. I