Need a Splashy Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gift? Try This Dessert Box

Unless you’re a celebrity with a spare $8 million or personal access to Kenny G, pulling off a last-minute Valentine’s gift with wow factor takes some doing. Maybe your own valentine is fine with grocery-store flowers or a flower-themed Lego set via Amazon overnight delivery (which honestly isn't a bad idea), but if you want something really ostentatious and over the top, your options as a civilian are limited. If your love is a lover of sweets, however, Boarderie’s brand-new XL Dessert Board might do the trick.

Layered with 47 different artisanal treats, from miniature cakes and truffles to macarons and maple smoked chili caramels, this gift is a nuclear bomb to the waistline, but most of the items on it last up to 30 days in the fridge, so the recipient will be reminded of your generosity all month long. Does it live up to the hype? I put on my fat pants in the name of journalism and requested one to try out.

Courtesy of Boarderie

Boarderie

Valentine's Dessert Board

$249

Boarderie (Large)

$159

Boarderie (Medium)

$139

Boarderie (Classic)

I’ve tested and loved Boarderie’s elaborate charcuterie boards in the past (if your valentine is more of a cheese-and-crackers person, there are Valentine’s Day versions of those as well, plus an “I love you”–themed Baked Brie Board), but a 21-pound tray of nothing but desserts is a different beast. Supposedly it serves 10 to 12, which I think is accurate so long as you're not making it an entire meal, but note that there are also smaller Medium (serves 5 to 7) and Classic (serves 4 to 5) sizes. Those may be less impressive but potentially more manageable—I can report that the Large arrives in a box the size of a 32-inch TV, with a plastic lid, bubble-wrap casing, and two large reusable ice packs, which in my box’s case were still frozen solid. (The delivery time between placing an order with the company's Florida office and its arrival on my doorstep in Washington state took roughly 17 hours.)