Creating a Basic Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board
Wanna know one of my fav things about the fall & winter seasons? All the hot beverages! Year round I'm already a fan of tea and coffee, but this time of year, I add one more drink to the cafe menu...hot chocolate!
While setting up the kitchen cafe for the season, I stocked up on a bunch of favs for hot chocolate for the family; and now that I have more kitchen (and counter) space, I decided to try something fun this year when it came to what would normally just be a hot chocolate bar. I decided to create my first ever charcuterie board... specifically, a hot chocolate charcuterie board.
What is a charcuterie board?
I am not going to get into the particulars of what an actual charcuterie board is, but traditional, it's a board presentation of dried meats & cheeses. And when I say board, think like a cutting board, but just bigger & prettier. Over the years, charcuterie boards have evolved and I've seen em for breakfast foods, desserts, fruits & vegetables, and all kinds of other food ideas. I figured why not do one for hot chocolate, especially since we take our hot chocolate very seriously here - different flavors, all manners of syrups & toppings... like it's a whole thing.
How do you build a hot chocolate charcuterie board?
You start with the board, of course!
Depending on the location, the audience, and the spread, your board can be as big or as little as you need it to be. For my little family, I can do a small set up on the countertop or even bring it to dining table. If you're hosting, on the other hand, then a larger board for a larger spread would be perfect.
The board is the base, so it's where I house all of the main accoutrements for hot cocoa - toppings and such - however, it's not the only surface I work with. I like to use the perimeter of the board as a staging area for sauces, syrups, and any other bottles... including my cocoa assortment.
I like to decant most of my hot cocoa ingredients, including the cocoa, for a prettier presentation - board or no board. Having these bottles along the side of the charcuterie board create a more elevated buffet presentation with choices... because who doesn't love choices?!
Vessels & Containers
Aside from the bottles around the perimeter of the board, I like to use different vessels on top of the board - yes on top of the board! - to contain all the different toppings & ingredients that I like to include in our hot cocoa. This includes, but is most definitely not limited to graham crackers, peppermint bark, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, cinnamon sticks, peppermint sticks, and ginger snaps... and that's not counting vessels for things like utensils.
This gives everything a place, clearly defines the board, and makes things easier to find/navigate.
Ingredients & Toppings
I won't get into recipes & how to's for making hot chocolate - that's all very personal - however, I do believe there are certain staples that go into a good cup of cocoa, especially for the holiday season... and all of which can make for a really pretty presentation.
Setting up a charcuterie board is something I only recently starting doing for the family and it's proven to be quite a hit... not to mention fun & useful. While I have no plans (or desire) to host anyone any time soon at #thehyggeranch, this is def a hostessing treat I will hold onto in my back pocket when the time comes.
