Frosted Cantaloupe W Sugar Coated Fruit Recipes

CANTALOUPE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and water over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the mint. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.
• Puree the fruit in a food processor until liquefied. Pour the fruit into a medium bowl and add the salt. Remove the mint leaves from the syrup. Add the syrup to the pureed fruit and mix well.
• Pour the cantaloupe mixture into a pre-chilled 7 by 12-inch glass baking dish. Place it uncovered into the freezer. Stir with a fork every 1/2 hour until almost completely frozen but still grainy, about 3 to 4 hours.
• Cooking Notes: This works best in 2 glass loaf pans or one 7 by 12-inch glass baking dish. The only critical point here is NOT to stir it past the almost frozen state or the ice crystals will become too fine and hard to scrape.
• Entertaining Notes: To serve, find a really interesting glass or bowl and dip it in cold water. Put the bowl into the freezer for 15 minutes; repeat. The result will be a frosted glass that looks great and sets the right backdrop for the granita.

FROSTED CANTALOUPE W/ SUGAR COATED FRUIT

Steps:

• Dissolve strawberry Jello in one cup of boiling water...cool. Add the drained fruit cocktail, to cooled Jello.You can also add 1/2 cup of toasted pecan pieces if you choose. Chill jello in a 2-3 cup container in refrigerator until it begins to thicken, about 20 minutes or so. Do this while you prepare Melon.
• Peel Melon; cut a slice off about 2 inches long all around from the most pointed end of cantaloupe, set it aside. Remove seed pocket and membrane. Turn upside down to drain, if necessary, some melons have more juice, I like the sweet, firmer ones.When melon is drained, place the melon and the end that was sliced off, big part in a gallon plastic bag and sliced end in a pint plastic bag, refrigerate to chill 45 minutes or longer. Being careful not to bruise or mash.
• Remove chilled and thickened Jello and the chilled melon from refrigerator. YOU CAN SLIGHTLY TRIM STEM END OF MELON TO HELP SIT UPRIGHT AND SUPPORT IT TO POUR JELLO MIXTURE IN, may need to use a funnel or dip it in. Cap sliced end back in place and secure it with tooth picks. With cavity filled and slice secured, chill one more hour in refrigerator, braced so it doesn't fall over, maybe in a plastic bowl that fits. In the mean time...
• Mix softened cream cheese 2 T. milk and 3/4 cup powdered sugar, beat until creamy. You may add 8 0z of cool whip to frosting if necessary to help with consistancy or add a little more milk to cream cheese and powdered sugar.
• With jello completely chilled inside melon, place melon length ways in center of pretty platter. Frost with cream cheese frosting and return to refrigerator.
• While melon is chilling slightly beat an egg white with 2 tsp water. Brush the 10 strawberries (with leaves on end) with egg white wash, SPRINKLE with soft sugar. (Put 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in food processor and pulse into a fine sugar.) Coat the 2 bunches of red grapes like you did the strawberries.(egg white.sprinkle w/ soft sugar)
• With frosted melon lengthwise of platter,surrounded with strawberries and grapes,Continue to chill if necessary. To serve, use a sharp knife and cut center of melon completely through cross- wise, exposing jello, fruitfilled center.Only cut 1/2 of melon into 1 inch slices. Do not cut other half into slices if not needed now, can be re chilled much easier, wrapped gently in plastic wrap to serve later,leave it on platter.
• You can change the flavor of Jello to suit your taste. Toasted Pecan halves and blueberries may be scattered among strawberries and grapes as a nice addition.