SWEET BEAUTY ON A BOARD
Theres not a party or gathering around these days that doesnt have a cheese or charcuterie board present and prominently placed on the buffet table. Grazing around a snack board during a social event is an easy way to catch up with friends and family, but what if youre a sweet tooth, like me.
What if... your life revolves around cookies, cake, pastry, and candy? What if... at every party you would rather serve up sweet treats instead of savory snacks?
What if... you serve up your favorite desserts on a beautiful board or platter? Well, Im here to tell you thats how sweet dreams are made.
Dessert boards are the perfect way to extend the love of grazing boards to the sweet side. They can be scaled up or down to accommodate any size gathering, and theyre fantastic for having a little something to please everyone.
With the boom of snack boards and charcuterie in homes and restaurants over the past few years, the dessert board was just destined to happen. What could be better than a big board loaded with buttery croissants, jam, chocolate cake, decadent truffles, or rich crme brle. So, hop on the dessert train and bring this new trend right into your home.
Dessert Boards is a must-have guide to helping you build beautifully arranged happy endings for your own gatherings. From breakfast to midnight, theres a dessert board for every time of day and occasion. Dessert for two or dessert for twenty, you can build a stunning and impressive display on your favorite board or platter. Its basically a blank slate for your own imagination, and you barely have to cook or bake a thing.
Your favorite bakery can be your best friend when it comes to creating a sweet spread to serve your loved ones, or make a quick stop by the local donut shop to load up on your favorites. Most of these easy boards are made with ingredients and snacks you can easily find at a well-stocked grocery store or specialty store. So, even if youre not a culinary wizard, you can easily wow the socks off any party guest with an epic dessert board.
So, heres to sweet celebrations. Enjoy!
THE BLOCKS: WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD A DESSERT BOARD
Like any building, you need to have a solid foundation on which to build. Selecting the base for your dessert board is simple, but you do need to consider a few factors. Size, material, and type of board can all be determined fairly easily once you know which type of dessert board you want to create. Round boards, rectangular platters, wood trays, and marble slabs are all readily available at many kitchen and housewares stores, but there are a few things to know before purchasing a board.
The Surface
Wood Boards
Wood boards are plentiful, and you can even look in your own kitchen for a wood cutting board that can double as a surface for your dessert board. Thats the ultimate multitasker, and it is a great option for people with smaller kitchens where storage space is at a premium.
You can find a variety of wood boards made of maple, walnut, oak, and olive with a natural beauty and great variation in the wood grain. There are also wood boards that are painted with a food-safe coating in a variety of colors and add some pop to your dessert display.
Wood boards are fairly easy to care for: Choose wood with a food-safe finish and a nonporous surface so it doesnt absorb flavors or odor easily. They can be easily cleaned with dish soap and water after each use. Dry thoroughly before storing.
Slate and Marble or Other Stone Slabs
Classic cheese and charcuterie boards are commonly arranged on slate, marble, and other stone boards, and they work equally well for dessert boards.
Slate is easy to find and lightweight, and food displays beautifully against the dark surface. Its also fairly inexpensive and can be written on with chalk to label the items arranged on the board. The only drawback to slate is it can chip or scratch easily. But you can always cover a scratch with a slice of cake.
Marble pastry boards are, like the wood cutting board, an excellent multitasking item in the kitchen. They look stunning as a dessert board surface. They also stay cool, making them a great choice for sweets such as chocolates or puddings. Granite and stone work the same way, staying cool for a longer period of time.
The downsides of stone, marble, and granite are theyre heavy and can stain easily. Food items that stain can be placed on a plate before displaying them, or arrange them on a paper doily to protect the surface of your board.
Metal and Wood Trays
Trays, either metal or wooden, are great ways to create dessert boards that need a little containment, like the Movie Night Board (). You can fill them to the rim with loose items that would otherwise fall off the board. Trays are easy to find just about anywhere, and they are easy to care for.
Ceramics
Look around your kitchen, and I promise you probably have a ceramic platter or tray that could double as a dessert board surface. Ceramic is amazing because it washes easily and does not hold odors or stains. They can be heavy and could chip or break if not handled with care.
Once you select your surface, now you need to think about your other tools and accessories, such as tasting forks, spoons, knives, bowls, serving utensils, and mini plates.
The Props
You dont need additional props for your board, but you will need serving utensils so your guests can easily pick up their sweet treats. So, this list is merely a guide to help you build a beautiful board.
Small Bowls and Ramekins
I like to have a variety of small bowls and ramekins on hand to contain smaller items and liquids, similar to what you would use on a cheeseboard. They look more uniform when serving jams, jelly, honey, or smaller ingredients, such as sprinkles or chopped nuts.
I buy white ceramic bowls and dishes so theres never a worry about trying to keep the colors from clashing, and white can be used universally for other kitchen tasks and entertaining. It looks more put together and professional than just putting a jar of jam on the board. Plus, you can never have too many small white bowls and dishes.
If you run out of dishes, break out your favorite cookie cutters. Fun shapes can add a festive vibe to your board. Just dont fill your cookie cutters with liquid because it will seep out the bottom.