I have a confession: I am not a natural-born entertainer. Coming up with an adequate menu even for the smallest parties and get-togethers has a way of bringing out the stress. So I am constantly on the lookout for easy solutions that take minimal prep and cooking time. Enter cheese and charcuterie boards - they are the ideal party snack platters, requiring very little time and skill in the kitchen. I have been a raving fan of charcuterie boards for as long as I can remember. Only recently, though, inspired by social media posts and forced by the inevitability of kids' parties, Thanksgiving family gatherings, and, soon, Christmas,have I thought of taking it to a new level and assembling dessert boards.
I started pretty humbly with a platter containing a small variety of cookies for my daughter's recent birthday party. Kids and cookies. You can easily imagine how that went. Encouraged by the success, I ventured further into this rather wonderful world of the artfully arranged, playing with a variety of desserts, and the results have been, well, pretty sweet (if you'll pardon the way too easy pun).
Starting with a blank canvas has a certain appeal, and there is no limit to where imagination can take you. You can play by the rules, or you can go ahead and make your own. Unlike many other things created in the kitchen, this isn't a science. It is one hundred percent art, letting your inner artist create delicious landscapes inspired by the event, the season, or the people you are sharing it with. It's a dessert board; feel free to improvise and have fun. However, if you need a few ideas and guidance, I will gladly share what I've learned.
