Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Select your largest red or pink serving platter (12 to 14 inches) as the foundation. Place a small decorative bowl filled with strawberry jam in an off-center position for dynamic visual appeal.
- Arrange your three cheeses in different sections of the board, spacing them evenly in a loose triangle pattern. Cut the cranberry stilton and red wax gouda into bite-sized slices or small cubes. Leave the strawberry cream cheese as a spreadable mound with a cheese spreader nearby.
- To make salami roses, fold each slice in half, then roll it tightly starting from one end. Alternatively, fan salami slices decoratively. Use 2 to 3 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to punch heart shapes from pepperoni slices. Arrange pepperoni hearts in small piles of 3 to 5 near cheese sections.
- Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut watermelon into festive shapes over a cutting board. Segment pink grapefruit by cutting away all peel and pith, then sliding knife along membranes to release segments. Arrange watermelon hearts standing upright for dimension, tuck grapefruit segments into gaps, and cluster raspberries in groups between cheese and meat sections.
- Place red velvet cookies in a neat row along one edge or stack them for height. Scatter pink yogurt-covered pretzels throughout all remaining gaps to fill the board completely.
- Scatter heart-shaped confetti sparingly across the board for festive accent. Tuck mini faux roses around outer edges, making absolutely certain decorative flowers don't touch any food directly.
Notes
Use food-safe confetti only. Keep faux roses away from food contact. Let cream cheese sit at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Best served fresh within 2 hours. Can assemble up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerate. Remove decorative elements before refrigerating. Serves 8 to 10 as appetizer portions. Not suitable for freezing.
