Hello, my friends!
This week, I’m REALLY excited to bring you this week’s post, sponsored by Fat Toad Farm in Vermont. These lovely folks make goat’s milk caramel, primarily sourced from our friends at Vermont Creamery. I only needed one taste to believe in the Fat Toad Farm magic, and have been gleefully adding a spoonful to my morning oatmeal or ice cream. Their caramels are not too sweet, which I appreciate, and they’ve got deep, well-balanced flavors. For better or worse, I’m pretty much hooked.
I wanted to give this New England treat a little West Coast treatment, so I moseyed on over to Cheese Plus, where monger Jane and I chose some amazing California cheese and caramel pairings for you!
After you’ve discovered the pairings, scroll down to the bottom to enter our sweepstakes! Fat Toad Farm is giving away TWO Toadally Cute Gift Boxes containing their Original, Salted Bourbon, Cold Brew Coffee, and Vermont Maple goat’s milk caramels, a $26.00 value. You may enter until Friday, August 19, at 11:59pm PDT (If I were you, I’d get in on that, TOUT DE SUITE!!)!
I preferred their cinnamon, cold brew coffee, and Vermont maple flavors on things other than cheese (like tarte tatin, ice cream, and pancakes, respectively), so here are some favorite pairings for the rest!
Original + Goldette Tommette by Bleating Heart Cheese
Goldette Tommette’s buttery, slightly tangy, and definitely earthy flavors paired beautifully with Fat Toad Farm’s Original goat milk caramel. The cheese brought out the caramel’s deep flavors as the tasting progressed, while the caramel mellowed out the cheese’s tang a bit. It felt a bit like falling down a dark, happy well of flavor. Each moment brought out new complexities in each ingredient!
Vanilla Bean + Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Toma
Toma alone is a relatively easygoing, slightly tangy, buttery, and nutty affair. Paired with the vanilla bean caramel, all flavors were enhanced. This was like cheese and caramel pumped up to the max! The vanilla bean enhanced the cheese’s tang, while drawing out the cheese’s finish for miles. My friend Jenny, who was acting as my photo assistant, said this was her favorite pairing. It was definitely the most surprising for me, and the most transformative for both cheese and caramel.
Salted Bourbon + Marin French Petite Breakfast Cheese
What better way to dress up breakfast than a dollop of bourbon? This 4 oz. button of cheese is essentially an unaged brie-style cheese with a bit of added cream. The result yields a bright, tangy burst of flavor that quickly mellows out. Adding the caramel’s deep, rich salted bourbon flavor instantly turned the tasting experience into something much more lavish. The caramel provided the perfect bass line through which the soprano lines of cheese could weave themselves. The combination of bright and dark chiaroscuro flavors was a gorgeous awakening to the complexity of milk.
Spicy Dark Chocolate + Bleating Heart Buff Blue
Taza Chocolate’s fruity, complex flavors bring out a whole new dimension to this rich caramel, while that little spicy kick at the end delighted and surprised Jane and me. Bleating Heart’s Buff Blue is already a great American cheese on its own—it recently took home 2nd place Best of Show at the American Cheese Society awards. Made from buffalo milk, it boasts caramel flavors and a little spicy kick of its own. Together, they are an astounding couple: I first sensed the chocolate, then earth as the caramel and cheese combined. Next came a spicy kick from both Buff Blue and spicy chocolate. Last, the cheese seemed to draw out extra fruit flavors in the chocolate, while giving out a bit of funky earth. Wow, what a ride for the taste buds.
There are so many flavors to choose from at Fat Toad Farm! I love that they balance their flavors so that nothing is sickly sweet. If you want a chance to win two of their Toadally Cute gift boxes, enter your name and email below! You have until 11:59pm PDT on Friday, August 19 to enter!
If you’d like to purchase your own Fat Toad Farms caramels, visit their online shop!
THANK YOU, Fat Toad Farms, for giving me this chance to play with your delicious goat milk caramels! And thank you as always, Jane, for your cheese counter knowledge!
The Miss Cheesemonger Fat Toad Farm Sweepstakes
Read the full official rules. Then enter below!
The entry period for the giveaway has ended. Thank you! Two winners will be chosen shortly!
*This post was sponsored by Fat Toad Farm LLC. I received payment and product to write the post. All opinions are my own.
