How to...
Create a Grazing Board
This series is all about "How to"... We want to educate and inspire, so sharing all our tips and tricks is our jam! If there is something in particular you want to know more about or want help in creating or learning about, then let us know!
Do you "platter"? We luuuurve creating platters for all sorts of different celebrations - be it a birthday, a Christening or just Saturday night drinks and catch ups!
Platters are amazing because it saves a huge amount of washing up, saves time and the stress of serving up individual desserts for everyone.
We did a LIVE in our “How to” section on Instagram recently, so if you’re interested, head on over to Insta to watch Emma make a dessert platter from scratch.
Platter Essentials:
Wooden boards are very popular at the moment
Pressed tin dishes
Extra big dinner plates
Cake stands
Glass bowls
Hot tip – try your local Charity Shop for some interesting platters and crockery.
Types of Platters:
Cold meat
Desserts
Sandwiches (love this one for a Saturday or Sunday lunch)
Traditional cheese, dips and crackers
Fruit
Make your own wrap
Chocolate board
Pancake board
Build your own Sundae
Meringue board
There are so many more!! You can virtually make anything into a platter - that's why grazing boards are saaahhh easy!!
In our LIVE, Emma created a dessert platter. We had hosted a BBQ on the weekend but everyone was so full from dinner (and it was really hot), that we didn’t end up eating dessert! Here is a list of some of the different elements that Em included in her dessert platter:
- Cheese and crackers
- Chocolate buttons, bars (cut up), Pokey Sticks
- Nuts, dried fruit
- Pre-made cookies/biscuits, slices
- Fruit (especially berries)
- If you love baking, then making a slice or two that you can cut up works well
- Macarons
Recap of top tips when creating platters:
- If you’re using baked goods, try popping a bright and colourful fabric napkin down on your board first.
- Brown paper forms a great barrier if you’re using oily foods like fish or marinated olives etc.
- Cut your foods into different shapes – similar sizes (bite size) but different shapes makes your platter more visually interesting!
- Don’t pop all the same type of food in one section (unless you are making a ‘clock’ type platter).
- Use odd numbers for placing food (3’s or 5’s work really well).
- Add nuts and chocolate buttons at the very end. They are fantastic for filling the gaps when you’re almost finished with adding the different elements of your platter.
- Don’t be afraid to use store bought elements! Take the pressure off yourself!
You want your platter to look full and generous! Most people love platters because they can pick and choose what they want and don’t feel pressured to eat everything off their plate. They can serve themselves what they would like to eat! Platters make great contributions to a dinner party, especially if you are not hosting. They are easy to transport and you can include lots of different types of desserts and everyone will find something they like!
Can you think of any more tips and tricks for creating platters?! We would love to hear your thoughts!