It's so easy to put together your own Valentine's Day platter to share with your loved one. This grazing board is dedicated to all things sweet and makes a really beautiful centrepiece!
My husband and I don't tend to give each other gifts on Valentine's day but I do like to make an effort to pull a sharing platter together. Rather than the two of us eating all the goodies, it's more like a family affair these days!
What makes platters so great?
- Very easy to put together
- Perfect for people to help themselves
- Lots of fun
- They are so pretty!
How to put together a perfect platter
Grazing platter, charcuterie board, snacks tray. Whatever you like to call it, the key to a really good platter is to go for a wide variety of treats in different colours, shapes and textures.
It's a lot easier to put one of these boards together when you're working on a specific theme. In this case - Valentine's day.
Take a wander around the supermarket and pick up things that fit with your theme. You might have a specific colour in mind like pink or red, which would be great for Valentines.
It’s so easy to find heart-shaped goodies in the shops. And what epitomises Valentine’s better than a heart-shaped waffle?
What board/plate is best?
Chopping boards or large plates work really well so you don't need to rush out and buy a brand new platter.
You could also opt for a large round wooden board. Circular boards make everything look pretty so they are good for sweet treats or fruit platters. I've had mine a few years but here's a similar 40cm round Acacia Wood Board.
Alternatively, you could use a rectangular wooden tray like this one. Or a round tray like this.
I've used a large ceramic serving plate which I think looks really pretty. You might have something similar you can use.
What to put on it
- Fresh Fruit a selection of strawberries, raspberries, bananas, apricots and cherries. Or any other fruit that’s in season.
- Cookies and Biscuits: Oreos, shortbread, biscotti, macarons, cantuccini and wafer biscuits work well.
- Small cakes: small bite-sized cakes such as Madeleines or mini Victoria sponge.
- Pretzels: chocolate-dipped or salted.
- Sweets: caramels and fudge are great for dipping and don’t forget to look out for some tiny jelly hearts and rings!
How to make it
Begin with an empty plate or chopping board and place a couple of small bowls or cupcake cases on it. Next, take any larger items and put them on to the platter to act as a framework. Group items in piles or curved lines. Add foods in groups, aiming to vary it so the different colours aren’t all displayed next to each other.
Once you can see how much space you’ve got left fill any gaps with smaller items.
Put the platter in the centre of the table with a bowl of chocolate fondue beside it.
For a final flourish on your Valentine’s table spread, set up a couple of champagne glasses and indulge in a glass or two of bubbly.
A platter full of fruit and biscuits is wonderful but having a delicious chocolate sauce to dip everything in makes it even better. It’s so easy to make a divine chocolate fondue. Here’s how…
Chocolate fondue
- 300g good quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
- 300ml double cream
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put in a heatproof bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the double cream to just below boiling point.
- Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and leave for a few minutes until the chocolate has melted.
- Mix the cream and melted chocolate together until you have a silky smooth, rich and thick chocolate dipping sauce.
Happy Valentine's Day!
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