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[1] This gouda from Basiron in Holland is infused with pesto. Get it at iGourmet (photo © iGourmet).
[2] Coupole, from Vermont Creamery, is one of our favorite goat cheeses. The brain-like surface is caused by Geotrichum candidum, a fungus that colonizes nearly all fungal surface-ripened cheeses during the early stages of ripening. Here’s more about it. Get Coupole at Murray’s Cheese (photo © Murray’s Cheese).
[3] Huntsman, from the U.K., the marriage of two British classics, Double Gloucester and Blue Stilton. Double Gloucester is comparable to the finest cheddar. The layer of blue cheese “veins” from the Stilton is creepy. Get Huntsman at iGourmet (photo © iGourmet).
[4] If the Great Pumpkin were a cheese, it would be Mimolette. It’s from France but made in the tradition of Dutch Edam. You can find it at Murray’s Cheese (photo © Murray’s Cheese).
[5] Basiron Goudas are the finest specialty Gouda cheeses from Holland: creamy Goudas with creative ingredients and colors—some 30 varieties! (photo © MAAZ Cheese B.V.).
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No trick, just treat:
Put together a Halloween cheese plate and pop the cork on a bottle of wine or two.
This selection of cheeses belong in your Halloween tasting.
For dessert, a chocolate follow-up is the finale to your treat. Chocolate and cheese are a great pairing.
Here are two ways to pair chocolate and cheese:
General Pairing Tips
Pairing Cheese, Chocolate & Tequila
HALLOWEEN CHEESES
In addition to the cheeses highlighted in the photos, check out this article for spooky cheeses:
Basiron Pesto Rosso (photo #5—here’s more)
Cahill Farms Irish Cheddar
Coupole, The Brain Cheese (photo #2)
English Cheddar With Harissa
Huntsman Cheese (photo #3)
Mimolette (photo #4)
Pecorino With Chile Flakes
Saxonshire Cheese (here’s more)
Triple-Aged Gouda
Washed-Rind Cheeses
Also consider:
Époisses, a seriously stinky cheese with a bright orange exterior*
A leaf-wrapped cheese, such as Valdeon blue cheese
FOOD TRIVIA: A lover of cheese is a turophile (TOO-row-file).
HALLOWEEN CONDIMENTS
For your cheese plate condiments, consider:
Apples and Pears
Dates
Honey
Figs
Fig Jam or Pumpkin jam
Pumpkin Seeds
Sliced Baguette, Walnut-Raisin Bread and/or Fancy Crackers
PUTTING TOGETHER A HALLOWEEN CHEESES BOARD
1. Start with a selection of frightful cheeses. If you’re not a goat cheese fan (maybe you’ve never had one as good as Vermont Creamery’s?), see the Halloween cheeses above for other suggestions.
2. Set the tone with a dark cheese board. We love the “gravestone” look of a gray slate board (see photo #4).
3. Add pairings such as dark olives (especially wrinkled ones), dark dried fruits (cherries, cranberries, raisins) and toasted pumpkin seeds. Slices of dark rye bread and crackers studded with dried fruit and seeds suit the scary season.
4. Decorate with dried moss and these simple DIY ghostly maple leaves (or oak, or elm, etc.) from the wonderfully creative folks at Sweet Paul.
5. Drip some honey (consider spicy honey!) over the edges for more creepiness. This works best with one board or platter that sits on top of a larger one, so the honey drip has a neat landing spot.
6. Place the crackers and breads around the larger platter.
HALLOWEEN CHEESE RECIPES
Cheese & Pretzel Broomsticks
Creepy Colored Cheeses
Jack O’Lantern Nacho Cheese Ball
Mummified Brie
Scream Cheese
MORE HALLOWEEN
> The History Of Halloween
> The History Of The Jack O’Lantern
> The History Of Trick-Or Treating & Halloween Candy
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*Most washed-rind cheeses are pungent with a “spooky” orange rind. The color (orange to ruby red), texture and aroma are caused by the bacterium Brevibacterium linens. Époisses is the most famous example, but there are many delicious options.
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