Tannenbaum Cheese Board Border (Print Version)

Elegant cheese and grape border for a festive holiday platter presentation.

# Components:

→ Cheese

01 - 8.8 oz semi-firm cheese (Gouda, Edam, or Emmental), well chilled

→ Fruit

02 - 5.3 oz small green seedless grapes, washed and thoroughly dried

# Directions:

01 - Cut the cheese into thin, triangular slices approximately 2–2.4 inches long and 0.4 inches wide at the base, shaping them like stylized pine trees.
02 - Place the cheese triangles along all edges of the serving board with points facing outward to resemble pine tree shapes.
03 - Position small green grapes between and around the cheese triangles to fill gaps and reinforce the tree-like design.
04 - Continue arranging cheese and grapes until the entire perimeter is decorated festively.
05 - Add assorted cheeses, charcuterie, crackers, or other accompaniments to the center of the board as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It turns a simple cheese board into something that looks professionally designed and absolutely magical on your holiday table
  • Takes just 15 minutes to create but genuinely impresses everyone who sees it
  • It's the kind of thing that makes people remember your gathering for years, not because the food was fancy, but because you put heart into how you presented it
02 -
  • The cheese absolutely must be well chilled before you slice it—room temperature cheese will tear and crumble instead of creating clean, beautiful triangles. This is the lesson I learned the hard way on my first attempt.
  • Dry the grapes thoroughly before you use them, or they'll roll around and undo all your careful arrangement. I learned to pat them with paper towels and let them air-dry for a few minutes.
03 -
  • A slightly warmed knife (run it under hot water and dry it well) glides through cold cheese even more beautifully, giving you the cleanest, most elegant cuts
  • The secret that changed everything for me was realizing that how you arrange the very first few triangles sets the rhythm for the whole border—take your time with those first pieces, and the rest flows naturally
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