Why a Candy Charcuterie Board Should Be a Part of Your Valentine’s Day

I have an enormous sweet tooth so I look for any excuse to indulge in sugar. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner I thought about various ways to celebrate, other than the typical cookies and cupcakes. Also, February 14th my boyfriend Billy and I will be celebrating our 3 year anniversary so we’ll combine the two for a day of sweet treats. This year I chose to create a candy charcuterie board complete with our favorite candy from Sugarfina, and our favorite French imported chocolates from Le chocolat des Francais. I love this colorful concept since it’s so simple to make and it can be used for any occasion. As I was arranging the board I thought about how it would be ideal for a “Galentine’s Day” or for an office party. This striking display of sweets can fit any budget and it only takes a few minutes to prepare. Here are the steps I took from the initial planning to the finishing touches. I can’t wait to put this together again on February 14th!

There are so many options for charcuterie boards: square, oval, rectangle, round, marble, slate, and wood. I settled on a round 15” x 12” white marble board with gold etching. This is a good size for two people (with extra candy left over), or it could easily serve four to six depending on the size of their sweet tooth. The reason I choose white marble is that it has such a sleek finish and I wanted the colors to stand out against it. Had I chosen a darker color like wood or slate, it wouldn’t have had the same vivid effect.

When it came to picking my colors, I decided on red, orange, white, various shades of pink, and brown (for the chocolate). With the theme being “love” and “celebration” I choose confections like Long-Stem Roses, “Kiss Me” Sugar Lips, and “You Make Me Melt” Ice Cream Cones. I then added in Dom Pérignon infused Champagne Gummy Bears, Champagne Bubbles, and Peach Bellini Hearts. To tie it all together I choose Aphrodite Strawberry Chocolates, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cashews, S’mores, and added in the French imported chocolates that featured chic artwork.

I wanted to have a variety of flavors and textures to choose from. Not only does it help to make it look more eye-catching, but blending sweet with sour, chocolate with gummy, and hard with soft, tastes so incredibly delicious. No two candies on the board are the same and that’s what makes it look so appealing. My favorites textures are the ice cream cones, the sugary lips, and the nonpareils on the Champagne Bubbles.

Before the charcuterie board arrived, I went to Sugarfina and purchased five small cubes and two taste packets. I also ordered the imported chocolates online. When I received the board, I could tell I wasn’t going to have enough candy to fill it. Since I was going for an “imported candy theme”, (most of Sugarfina’s sweets come from other countries), I didn’t want to to cheapen the display by adding in grocery store candy. Luckily the gift shop at The Ritz Carlton by my apartment sells a few types of Sugarfina cubes so I headed there the night before and bought two more (just in case). It was a good thing I did because it allowed me more room in creating the layout since I had more than enough sweets to choose from.

Depending on the type of candy and board you use, you may need a sheet of wax paper. I was worried the gummies would stick to the surface but when I laid them on the board, they didn’t so I skipped that step. If you decided to use wax paper, you can get the appropriate size by turning the board upside down and tracing it.

Now came the fun part; designing the board! My candy came already separated in clear cubes; if yours doesn’t, separate and put in small clear bowls. Place the bowls on top of the board and move them around until you’re satisfied with the color scheme. You really can’t go wrong here, it’s all about being creative. I tried not to place two of the same colors or textures side by side. One factor to keep in mind is to place candy that could roll in the center. On the edge, place the candy that will remain in place and keep everything from moving around. Instead of having my board completely flat by lying pieces side by side, I arranged some of them on top of each other for added dimension.

The candy charcuterie board is such a gorgeous centerpiece, but I wanted to add more to my white table. I started by looking into Meri Meri’s Valentines Day collection. At this point I already knew what my color scheme was so I choose the partyware to correlate with it. You can do it this way or choose your partyware, and then pick your candy color scheme; it’s up to you. I covered the table in gold, peach, and light pink confetti hearts, and used pale pink heart plates, peach heart shaped napkins, and red paper cups. All three had gold foil accents which I picked to match the gold etching on the charcuterie board. To keep up with the color scheme, I choose a refreshing Italian pink grapefruit soda.

This was so much fun (and simple) to set up. I loved everything that went into putting it together and can’t wait to do it again on Valentine’s Day. I’ll be looking for an excuse to create another one soon. One more thing I recommend, is if you’re hosting a get-together that involves a candy charcuterie board, it’s a good idea to have to-go bags available so guests can take home the leftovers.

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Kristie Woszczyna

My life consists of writing, shopping, music, spending time with my boyfriend, working out, traveling and macarons from Bottega Louie. [email protected].