Advent Calendar 2025 5-24

Rather boring over the last few days (5-12) - herbs again (as on the day before), Gouda again, cheddar, red cheddar, cheddar, then Gouda for three days! Oh dear. Not good enough. The rest was no better. I'll try soemthing else next year.

Harrogate Blue

Harrogate Blue is matured for a minimum of 10 weeks, the optimum time for a cheese to develop a right depth of flavour and creaminess. It was launched in 2012 and has won a number of awards. It is produced by the company Shepherds Purse, which was begun by Judy Bell in the late eighties, and was the first cheese co-produced by her daughters, Katie and Caroline, after taking over the running of the speciality cheese company from their mother. It was judged to be the 11th best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Awards in London in 2017/18. Like all Shepherds Purse cheeses it is made with pasteurised milk and vegetarian rennet.

Blue Monk

Award winning Blue Monk is a soft, creamy, blue cheese made in individual pieces, around 230g in weight. They are made with raw cow's milk and are pierced twice and turned as they mature for up to 28 days before wrapping. They then continue to mature and soften as they age becoming softer and creamier with time. They are produced by Monkland Cheesemakers in Herefordshire.

Advent Calendar 2025 2-4

Day one's Edam has been followed by Gouda, red Cheddar and a cheese (seemed to be cheddar) with herbs. Very processed but a decent chunk each time. I'm enjoying it.

Advent Calendar 2025 - 01

I've got a new advent calendar thiis year which I started today - Edam behind the first door.

Christmas cheese?

Snowbell Noel™ Cheese

Type: Semi-soft, cave-ripened holiday cheese

Milk: A blend of cow’s and goat’s milk

Appearance:

Snowbell Noel is shaped like a small, plump bell—about the size of a large orange—with a snowy white, edible rind dusted in crushed, freeze-dried cranberry powder. Thin ribbons of green rosemary ash spiral around the outside like garlands.

Texture:

Inside, the cheese is pale ivory and marbled with tiny ruby specks of candied cranberry. The paste is supple and creamy near the rind but becomes luxuriously gooey at room temperature, almost like a Christmas fondue wrapped in its own rind.

Aroma:

A gentle mix of winter herbs, warm cream, and a hint of citrus zest. When cut open, it releases a cozy aroma reminiscent of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine steam.

Flavor:

First taste: Mild creaminess with a whisper of goat-milk tang

Mid-notes: Savory rosemary, subtle pine, and a warming hint of nutmeg

Finish: A gently sweet, fruity sparkle from the candied cranberries and a soft orange-zest brightness

The flavor profile is deliberately engineered to taste like a cheese plate and holiday dessert in one bite.

How it’s made:

The milk is infused with a slow-steeped blend of winter herbs (rosemary, bay, juniper) before culturing. During curd formation, tiny pieces of crystallized cranberry are folded in. After shaping, the cheese is dusted in cranberry powder and wrapped loosely in spruce bark strips to age for a month in cool, humid cellars.

How to serve it:

Let it warm on the table until it becomes spoonably soft.

Pair with warm gingerbread slices or toasted brioche.

Perfect with a spiced cider, a sweet Riesling, or hot chocolate (yes, shockingly good).

Optional holiday tradition:

Tap the top gently with a spoon - its “bell” shape gives off a satisfying soft thunk, signalling that Christmas can officially begin.