Guide for Creating a Sweet Platter or Dessert Arrangement
Spicing Up Your Dinner Party: The Dessert Board Edition
Get ready to swoon your guests post-meal with a scrumptious dessert board! They'll love the chance to indulge in a veritable smorgasbord of treats, making hosting a breeze. Maegan Brown, the mastermind behind Spectacular Spreads and Beautiful Boards, shares expert advice for creating a showstopper dessert board with all the right flavors, colors, and textures.
A Theme to Remember
Selecting a theme for your dessert board is all about nailing that cohesive look. Erin Emmett, the founder and pastry chef of Pistachio Culinary Studio & Experiences, recommends starting with a dominant color palette, such as going for whites and greens during the holiday season. Bebe Black Carminito, author of The Curated Board, suggests embracing the current season, like leaning into berries over the summer, or using a specific sweet as the theme, such as a candy board.
Get Creative with Store-Bought Goodies
Don't fret if you're not a culinary whiz – a dessert board can be every bit as impressive with ready-made treats. Emmett suggests grabbing a sheet cake or cheesecake from your local grocery store's bakery and freezing it until firm before cutting it into bite-sized squares. This little trick gives your desserts a polished look! Top your store-bought goodies with chopped candies or an assortment of colorful cookies if you want to add some extra flair.
Toss in a Touch of Savory
Who says sweets can't meet salty? Invite a few savory components to the party by including potato chips, pretzels, or a selection of cheeses. They'll provide a delightful contrast for your sweet-toothed guests.
Serving Sizes Matter
A 13x9-inch board should do the trick for six people. Be sure to budget one or two pieces of your main treats per guest, like truffles or macarons. Then fill in with candies, nuts, store-bought cookies, and fruit to make for a perfectly portioned dessert spread.
Vive la Différence: Variety is Key
Create a mouthwatering array of flavors by including a mix of chocolaty treats, buttery cookies, fruity candies, and more. Diversify the textures, too: think smooth, chewy, and crunchy. Incorporating bright, fresh fruits adds an essential pop of color and lightness to your board.
Presentation Is Everything
Bee Black Carminito champions bold and vibrant hues for boards, explaining that we devour with our eyes first. To amp up your board's visual appeal, arrange items in creative ways: stack items, place them on pedestals, and fan cookies around bowls or on the edges of the board. Vary heights and shapes for a truly eye-catching display. If your board still looks a bit flat, consider adding whipped cream, berries, or a touch of powdered sugar.
For a delightful, stress-free dessert experience, opt for unorthodox, visually appealing, and delectable dessert boards. Happy hosting!
Enrichment Data:
- Choosing a Theme (Alternative Options): Besides going for a dominant color or seasonal elements, you can also opt for a "color narrative" - using colors that help tell a story or evoke a certain emotion, such as dark and sultry for a romantic event or bright and cheerful for a child's birthday party [1].
- Store-Bought Goodies: To create a visually appealing store-bought treat, it's essential to consider presentation details, such as cleaning your knife and utensils frequently, arranging items in an appealing manner, and using trays, pedestals, or other display elements to elevate the overall look [1].
- Visual Appeal: Incorporating a variety of heights, shapes, and textures into your dessert board can help create a visually engaging display. Accenting the board with fresh flowers, leaves, or herbs can also add a touch of nature and freshness to your spread [1].
- Mixing Flavors: Aim to balance sweet and savory flavors in your dessert board. For example, pair fruity candies with salty pretzels or nuts, or serve cheeses alongside a range of fruits, nuts, and crackers for a well-rounded dessert board that offers something for everyone [3].
- For a stunning dessert board, consider a thematic approach that aligns with the dominant color palette, season, a cohesive 'color narrative', or even a specific sweet treat as the theme.
- If you're not a skilled cook, store-bought desserts can still make an impression; consider freezing a sheet cake or cheesecake before slicing and garnishing with candies or cookies for added flair.
- To provide contrast and attract both sweet and savory palates, incorporate potato chips, pretzels, or assorted cheeses alongside your sweet treats.
- A dessert board should ideally accommodate around six guests, with one or two pieces of main treats per person and an assortment of candies, nuts, store-bought cookies, and fruit to make for a well-proportioned spread.
- Risers, trays, or pedestals can help elevate the visual presentation of store-bought treats, while mixing flavors, textures (smooth, chewy, and crunchy) and incorporating bright, fresh fruits adds a pop of color and lightness to your board.
- To create a visually impactful board, experiment with various heights, shapes, and arrangements, and don't hesitate to add whipped cream, berries, or powdered sugar for additional appeal.
- Strive for a balanced and inviting dessert board by focusing on a variety of flavors, textures, colors, and display techniques to enhance the overall dining experience for your guests.
