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 

1. Start by spreading a generous layer of mascarpone directly onto your board near the center. This becomes the creamy base for your fruit. 
2. Arrange your fresh fruit over the mascarpone, strawberries, raspberries, and citrus, letting the colors naturally overlap and blend. 
3. Add in your chocolates, cookies, and dipped treats, alternating sweet textures throughout the board. 
4. Tuck in the Castelvetrano olives for a subtle savory contrast. 
5. Finish with a drizzle of honey over your fruit and any decorative touches like fresh roses or greenery. 
6. 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.