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We were introduced to this pairing at last week's Share Our Strength - Taste of the Nation event in Chicago. The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board featured several cheeses from their home state, and we quickly fell in love with the Ader Käse Reserve aged blue cheese from Seymour Dairy, which they paired with sweet, caramely peanut brittle.

It's almost like the classic cheese-caramel popcorn mix, but elevated to a whole new level. A rich, indulgent treat in one little bite, we think it would be the perfect way to end to cozy dinner party or impress your friends at a picnic in the park.

Ader Käse Reserve is a German-style blue cheese, aged to bring out some of its sweet qualities. If you can't find that particular cheese (It's available at Pastoral in Chicago), look for another aged blue with a texture that's less creamy and more cheddar-like.

For the peanut brittle, you'll want something that has a lower peanut-to-candy ratio, and it's probably best to make your own unless you know where you can buy something so specific. We had a hard time finding any peanut brittle – toffee seems to have eclipsed its popularity at most candy counters – but it's extremely simple to make at home.

For our first batch, we followed Martha Stewart's recipe, which was delicious but yielded far too many peanuts per bite for this pairing. The peanuts nearly overwhelmed the cheese. For our next batch, we used one-third as many peanuts, and chopped them finely for more even distribution. This produced a much more balanced bite when topped with a bit of cheese.

• Seymour Dairy Products, Inc.
• Martha Stewart – Peanut Brittle Recipe
• Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
• Share Our Strength

Related: Paired! Humboldt Fog Cheese with Ficoco Spread

(Images: Joanna Miller)