The Snack Social: It’s Cookie Season

By Patricia Racine

March 2026

Welcome to The Snack Social! I love cheese, I have always loved the stuff, and over the last year I have studied, tasted and used cheese on an everyday basis and I enjoy sharing this love with everyone who will listen to me. The cheese world is larger than you can imagine and sometimes complex, and while I don’t know even the tip of the cheese iceberg, I do have a lot of cool things I can share, and my hope is to get people as interested in cheese as I am. So, sit back, grab a knife and get ready to cut into some great tasting cheese and pairings.

One of the most classic pairings for cookies is, of course, milk; but what about another form of dairy to bring this snack to the next level? We are smack dab in the center of Girl Scout Cookie season, but instead of devouring that entire box on the drive home from meeting your snack dealer in front of the hardware store, save some and humor me by trying these pairings with cheese.

The whole point of these particular pairings is contrast. The sugar and butter content of the cookie will act as a “super cracker” making them the perfect base for salty, tangy and even, funky cheeses.

The Classic Beginner – Lemon-Ups and Vanilla Bean Mascarpone: the creamy slightly floral flavor of the mascarpone is a natural complement to the tangy bright citrus cookie, and the creaminess balances the cookie crunch making this a deconstructed lemony cheesecake.

The Caramel Dream – Samoas and Aged Gouda: the nutty, buttery crunchiness (those are tyrosine crystals) of the gouda amplifies the complex mix of chocolate, caramel and coconut without going overboard.

The Refreshing Duo – Thin Mints and Feta: hear me out, feta and mint are a classic pair; think Greek salad. The salty cheese cuts through the dark chocolate and the cool mint hints at chocolate Mojito.

The Daredevil – Tagalongs and Sharp Cheddar: Sounds scary but in this pairing try a bite of cookie and then the cheese; the sharpness of the cheese cleanses your palate between bites of the rich creamy cookie.

I know that these pairing might seem crazy to some of you, but be brave, try them–a big part of enjoying cheese is getting out of your comfort zone. I have put some pretty off the wall samples out that the cheesemakers gave the side eye to, but they changed their tune when they tried them. And I would love to hear your feedback on these pairings, so please email them to snacksocial13@gmail.com. Heck, email any cheese related questions; I would love to be your personal cheese monger.