5 Easy Ways to Serve Cheese for Dessert
Serving cheese for dessert isn't a new idea. From a dinner party finale cheese plate to cream cheese frosting and cheesecake, cheese is often used to bridge the savory and sweet and to end the night with a comforting, creamy bite. But we're willing to bet you haven't heard of the dessert ideas below before. Don't judge them before you try them! The contrast between sweet and savory will create something unique that your guests won't expect. They are also quick and simple to prepare, requiring no cooking, and are maybe even easier than putting together a cheeseboard.
Pair Gorgonzola Dolce with Chocolate
Gorgonzola dolce and chocolate photo credit Depositphotos
The simplest way to serve cheese as dessert is to pair it with something sweet. A sweet wine like a clairette, sauternes, or port would work well to balance out the bite of a blue, but so do other sweet snacks. For private tastings, I've served a creamy blue like Gorgonzola Dolce dolloped onto a Ghirardelli chocolate square. The square functions as a cracker, so guests can pick it up and eat it in one bite. With the number of blue cheeses out there and the number of square chocolates, you could really have fun with this. Try Mitica Negroni Blue, a blue cheese from the Veneto that's soaked in Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth, and topped with candied orange rind, with a dark chocolate and orange square.
Layer Mascarpone into a Trifle
Mascarpone trifle
Sweetened mascarpone is used as a mortar to bind the layers of tiramisu. But what if you changed up the flavors and went for fruit instead of coffee and chocolate? Take inspiration from a British trifle, which is all about texture. Alternate a deep dish with layers of graham crackers or ground-up cookies, sweetened mascarpone cheese, fresh fruit, and your jam or fruit curd of choice in place of custard. You could pair wild blueberries with lemon curd, strawberry jam with fresh raspberries, or whatever other fruit pairings you dream up.
Spread Saint Agur on a Shortbread Cookie
Saint Agur shortbread
Chef Sandy Truong An Tran Ho (@sanssho) had the brilliant idea to use Saint Agur blue cheese from the Auvergne region of France as the filling for a shortbread cookie. For the recipe, she makes a typical shortbread base, adds honey and Saint Agur on top, and adds a top layer of shortbread with a "window" cut out, so the shortbread effectively frames the swirls and spots of the blue cheese. But you can just spread it on a cookie if you prefer. Either way, it's sweet, savory, and completely unique.
Make a Fresh Ricotta Dip
Ricotta dip
To love cheese is to love cannoli. But frying cannoli and ensuring their shape is more work than most people can handle. Instead, enter the cannoli dip or parfait. Amy Sherman, the editor of Cheese Professor, was served a dish of freshly made ricotta at Tenuta Vannulo, accompanied by a platter of toppings such as chocolate chips, candied orange rind, honey, and nuts. You can let guests customize their own dip, or create one topped with all of the above for the table to share, alongside pieces of fried cannoli batter or cookies—no cylinder-shaping needed.
Grate Roomano Over Ice Cream
Pear and Blue Cheese photo credit Salt & Straw
By now, we've all heard of topping ice cream with olive oil. Who said we had to stop there? Certain hard, nutty cheeses like Roomano, Parmigiano Reggiano, or Pecorino Romano would work just as well grated over vanilla ice cream as pasta. I created a Pecorino Romano ice cream recipe with honey and hazelnuts—but if you don't have the time to make ice cream at home, simply grate the cheese fresh over a scoop of ice cream. Try Pecorino with honey to offset its saltiness, or a caramel-noted long-aged Gouda like Roomano alongside chopped nuts. It's a sundae built for a cheese lover.