Jul 27, 2015
A fruit synonymous with summer, watermelon is sweet, versatile and super delicious. Packed with antioxidants vitamin C, beta-carotene and lycopene, watermelon can boast some serious nutritional value too! Juicy and refreshing, this fruit is a natural thirst quencher.
Beat the heat and take advantage of summer’s quintessential fruit with a few of these tasty watermelon treats.
Super Cool & Simple Watermelon Recipes
You’ll need a watermelon purée as an ingredient in a few of these recipes. It’s easy. Here’s how:
WATERMELON PURÉE: To make the watermelon purée, remove seeds from fresh watermelon and cut into large chunks. Place in a blender and process until smooth and well puréed. Using a strainer or sieve, pour and press the blended mixture through to remove the seeds and any extra pulp.
Watermelon Wine Sparkler
A deliciously crisp and refreshing cocktail.
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
– 1/3 glass watermelon purée, chilled (see WATERMELON PURÉE ABOVE)
– 1/3 glass crisp, dry white wine, chilled
– 1/3 glass sparkling water, chilled
– 1 watermelon slice, for garnish
Directions
1. Combine ingredients in a wine glass, add garnish and serve immediately.
…………………………………………………………………………………
Watermelon Smoothies
A simple smoothie made with coconut water, strawberries and watermelon.
Ingredients
– 2 cups cubed fresh watermelon
– 5 strawberries
– ½ cup coconut water
Directions
1. Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth.
…………………………………………………………………………………
Watermelon Ice
A refreshing sorbet with a soft serve texture.
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
– 1¼ cups sugar
– 1¼ cups water
– 6-7 cups fresh seedless watermelon chunks
– 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Directions
1. Make a simple syrup by bringing sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In a blender, add watermelon chunks and the lime juice. Blend the mixture until the watermelon is completely puréed.
3. Add the simple syrup to the watermelon mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Pour the watermelon mixture into an ice cream maker. Mix for approximately 25-35 minutes, or until thickened. The sorbet will have soft serve texture. Serve immediately, or store in freezer in an airtight container until firm, about 2 hours.
…………………………………………………………………………………
Watermelon Mocktail
A crowd-pleasing summer cooler. Make a batch for your next party and watch it disappear!
Makes: 36 servings
Ingredients
– 1 cup watermelon purée
– 1 teaspoon grenadine syrup
– Juice from 1 fresh orange
– 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
– 2 litres of ginger ale
– 2 cups ice cubes
Directions
Blend ingredients in a large beverage container and chill. Serve over ice. Rim the glass, if desired, and serve.
RIMMING THE GLASS
1. Pour your sugar, salt or whatever you’re rimming glasses with on a saucer or plate.
2. If using salt use a coarse sea salt or kosher salt. For sugar, use plain white granulated sugar or brown sugar. Turbinado sugar is a light brown cane sugar similar to demerara but with larger crystals. The coarser crystals look very pretty on the rim of the glass.
3. Moisten the rim of the glass with either a wedge of lime, lemon or orange if the cocktail is fruity. For other cocktails use either simple syrup or a bit of complementing liqueur.
…………………………………………………………………………………
Watermelon Popsicles
The ultimate summer cooler! Make ahead and store in the freezer to enjoy anytime. Switch it up by substituting orange or lemon, if desired, in place of lime.
Ingredients
– 4 cups watermelon, diced into chunks
– 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
– 1 teaspoon lime zest
– 1/4 cup agave syrup
– wooden sticks (if you don’t have popsicle molds)
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Pour mixture into ice pop molds. If you don’t have molds, fill small paper cups with mixture and freeze for about an hour. Remove from freezer and insert wooden sticks. Return to freezer until completely hardened.
3. Place in the freezer at least 8 hours or overnight.
TIP: Fill ice cube trays with mixture and use instead of regular ice cubes in drinks.
…………………………………………………………………………………
Watermelon Mimosa
A refreshing summer mimosa perfect for wedding showers, girls night out, romantic summer evenings, or Sunday brunch.
Makes 2 to 3 cocktails.
Ingredients
– 1 cup watermelon purée (see WATERMELON PURÉE ABOVE))
– 1/2 cup light champagne or sparkling wine (preferably a demi-sec)
Directions
Divide watermelon juice among 2 to 3 champagne flutes. Top flutes with champagne, serve and enjoy!
…………………………………………………………………………………
A few of our favourite Watermelon Salads
Make a simple melon salad using honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon. Use cookie cutters or a melon baller to dress it up though!
Watermelon & Arugula Salad – Fresh, peppery arugula leaves meet ripe, juicy, sweet watermelon and tangy feta cheese for a deliciously cool and refreshing salad. Quick and simple to make, Watermelon & Arugula Salad can be enjoyed by itself, or served as a summer side dish or appetizer.
Summer Salad with Fresh Watermelon & Cucumber – Chef Chad of Red’s Steakhouse uses a zesty lemon vinaigrette to dress this bright, healthy salad.
For more delicious watermelon recipes visit www.watermelon.org – the home for everything and anything watermelon!
Jul 20, 2015
Sweet morsels of delicious Oreo cookies embedded in rich chocolate cupcakes, and topped with a cream cheese frosting. Plus, there’s a hidden surprise at the bottom! Can you say OMG! so good!?
Makes: 24 cupcakes Total time: 25-30 minutes plus cooling time
Ingredients
- 1 pkg (14.3 oz) Oreo Creme Sandwich Cookies (regular)
- 1 pkg Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pkg (14.3 oz) Oreo Creme Sandwich Cookies (or Mini Oreos), for decoration, optional (you won’t need all the cookies)
- cupcake paper liners
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans.
- Mix cake mix according to directions on package. Set aside.
- Place one Oreo Cookie in the bottom of each cupcake liner.
- Coarsely chop half of the remaining cookies; fold gently into cake mix. Fill cupcake liners with the mix.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or as directed on cake mix package (cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean).
For the frosting: In a medium size bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar and blend well. Place remaining Oreo cookies into a food processor and pulse until fine. Add to cream mixture, blending well.
Note: if frosting is too runny add a little more powdered sugar slowly, blending after each addition to test consistency. After cupcakes are completely cool, spread or pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Decorate with additional Oreo cookies (regular or mini size), if desired. You can also decorate the base of the frosting with a little finely crushed Oreo cookie.
If cream cheese frosting isn’t your thing, you can always make a cookies and butter cream frosting: Mix together 1 cup unsalted butter with 3-3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar. Add coarsely chopped Oreo cookies (use about 24 cookies), and gently blend together.
