But if you prefer chocolate to Cheddar, you were out of luck—until now. Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Columbus, Ohio-based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and award-winning cookbook author, says her go-to, no-fail dessert is an ice cream board. It’s even easier than putting together a cheese board and will satisfy all the sweet tooths at the party. “Think of it like a cheese board that swaps the Brie and Gouda for ice cream and buttermilk frozen yogurt,” she says. “Sub cookies for crackers. Keep the nuts and jam. And maybe we throw in some hot fudge or caramel sauce. That’s the beauty of a sundae board—it’s 100 percent customizable!” Britton Bauer recommends two to three pints per board, and serving the ice cream with cheese spreaders for smearing it into cups. (You’ll likely want a little of every flavor, so an ice cream scoop is too large). Once you’ve decided on sauces and toppings, it’s time to arrange everything on a serving board. Britton Bauer makes hers out of plywood and paints the sides bright colors, but if you don’t want to DIY, there are plenty of great options available for purchase. Look for one with a groove around the perimeter to catch any melting ice cream and prevent it from spilling onto any surface. To get you started, Britton Bauer curated two incredible sundae boards for Real Simple: One for kids and one for adults. See below for her recommendations.
Kids Ice Cream Sundae Board:
Ice Cream Flavors: Wildberry Lavender, Darkest Chocolate, Salted Peanut Butter With Chocolate Flecks Sauces: Extra-bitter hot fudge, salted caramel, honey butterscotch Toppings: Macarons, kiwis, strawberries, blueberries, marshmallows, sprinkles, chocolate cookies, caramel corn
Adult Ice Cream Sundae Board:
Ice Cream Flavors: Sweet Cream, Darkest Chocolate, Salty Caramel Sauces: Extra-bitter hot fudge, salted caramel, honey butterscotch Toppings: Apricots, mixed nuts, figs, pears, fancy chocolate, pomegranate seeds, palmiers, Medjool dates, almond cookies, assorted herbs
