This Valentine’s Day, we wanted to share something approachable, fun, and sweet to recreate at home. A grazing board that feels festive, thoughtful, and perfect for sharing, whether you are planning a date night, a Galentine’s gathering, or a cozy night in with your family.
So we asked our grazing board aficionado, Danielle Cesare of Sonderbird Photography & Films, to help us create a playful and approachable board that anyone can make. The result is the Winter Sweetheart Board, a dessert-inspired spread made with just a handful of ingredients and designed to feel special without being complicated.
This board focuses on classic Valentine flavors and colors, featuring fresh berries, citrus, chocolate-dipped treats, buttery cookies, local honey, and a creamy mascarpone base layered beneath the fruit. A few savory touches, like Castelvetrano olives, balance the sweetness and add a subtle contrast to the overall flavor profile.
It’s intentionally simple and easy to adapt based on what you already have at home!
What You’ll Need:
Fresh Produce:
-
Strawberries
-
Raspberries
-
1 grapefruit
-
1 blood orange
Sweet Treats:
- Bridge Street Chocolates (local, dye-free)
- Lake Champlain Chocolates (assorted truffles or chocolate hearts)
- Blake’s Mother’s Cookies Classic Shortbread Cookies (local)
- KWF Bulk yogurt-dipped pretzel
Other:
- Vermont Creamery Mascarpone cheese
- Jeff’s Garden Castelvetrano olives
- Local honey (Swarmbustin’ or A Frame Apiary)
Optional Garnish:
- Fresh roses or edible flowers
- Herbs or greenery for styling
Miscellaneous:
- Wooden board or serving platter
- Small bowl or ramekin for honey
How to Build Your Winter Sweetheart Board
- Start by spreading a generous layer of mascarpone directly onto your board near the center. This becomes the creamy base for your fruit.
- Arrange your fresh fruit over the mascarpone, strawberries, raspberries, and citrus, letting the colors naturally overlap and blend.
- Add in your chocolates, cookies, and dipped treats, alternating sweet textures throughout the board.
- Tuck in the Castelvetrano olives for a subtle savory contrast.
- Finish with a drizzle of honey over your fruit and any decorative touches like fresh roses or greenery.
- There’s no right or wrong way to style this board, the goal is to keep it light, fun, and easy.
Whether you’re celebrating with a partner, friends, or treating yourself, the Winter Sweetheart Board is a reminder that sometimes the simplest spreads are the most enjoyable. Sweet, colorful, and stress-free — just the way Valentine’s Day should be.
A special thank you to Danielle Cesare for this inspiration! You can follow her at @danielle.at.sonderbird for a peek into her holistic lifestyle and photography adventures.