When it comes to cheese pairing, I am always looking for ways to push the bar between sweet and savory. Since specialty cheese is so complex in aroma and flavor, there are ways to balance out notes of citrus from a soft-ripened goat cheese, or the natural caramel characteristics of an alpine cow cheese.

This honey orange pistachio lace cookie provides the best of those worlds: the pistachios balance the sweetness of the honey, and the orange zest brings out deeper, caramelized flavors.

I chose the Thyme & Flowers Raw Honey from Cheese Companion. This honey hails from the Greek Isles, and is one of the rarest and most complex in flavor, as the thyme blossoms only bloom for a short summer duration. The natural herbaceous quality of the honey add another level of flavor to the lace cookies. It pairs well with creamy, spreadable cheeses, which are a perfect pairing for this cookie. I also recommend an Orange Blossom Honey, which will bring out the orange zest flavor even more. Orange Blossom honey is a little more robust, and pairs well with light-bodied cheddars and pecorinos.

Recipe, adapted from Strawberry Plum