Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles — with Carving Pictorial

The very first time I carved a watermelon and made this Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles was back in my college years. Oh well, that was many, many years ago…ahem…Those were the good old days. It was always fun to make and serve this Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles at parties. With this watermelon basket as a centerpiece, you can expect to get all the “ohhs and ahhs” from your guests. The recipe was slightly different back then. The “sparkling” ingredient was wine coolers instead of the sparkling white grape juice that I used in this recipe. Why did I switch the wine cooler out and use sparkling grape juice this time? Because my kids adore watermelons! With this kid-friendly version, everybody can enjoy this wonderful treat.



So, when Kitchen PLAY invited me to participate in this month’s Progressive Party to create a watermelon dessert recipe, I was really excited and couldn’t wait to get started. My kids were on their winter breaks and they were just as excited when they saw the fridge filled with watermelons. My kids ask for watermelons all the time, even in the winter. Good thing is that watermelons are available all year-round, typically as a mini-watermelon, or pre-cut melon as found in the produce aisle. I love using the mini ones as they are usually sweeter. Plus, they are perfect for carving into these lovely baskets (I’ll show you the step-by-step pictorial in just a second).  




I love serving these Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles to my kids. Not only are they refreshing and delicious, but they are packed with nutrients that your body needs. Did you know watermelon is 92% water? Oh yeah, with the dry weather during the winter, you can feel good about filling up, as it hydrates while satiating your appetite. Watermelon is a multivitamin unto itself; it is packed with lots of Vitamins A, B6 and C. For more information about health and nutrition on watermelons, feel free to visit Watermelon.Org.




Are you ready to learn how to carve this watermelon basket? It’s way easier than it looks. Before you get started, I have two important tips for you. Tip number one: have a sturdy and stable cutting board. Place a damp paper towel underneath the cutting board to prevent your board from sliding around when you carve. Tip number two: use a very sharp knife for carving. It’s much safer when your knife is sharp so it cuts through the skin of the watermelon with ease.
So, here’s what I did.

1) Slice 1/4-inch off the bottom of the watermelon to provide a stable base.

2) Cut vertically from the top, 1-inch to the right from the center of the melon until you reach half way of the melon.

3) Cut horizontally in the middle of the melon until you reach the corners of the vertical cut.

4) This slice of watermelon should come off easily, set it aside. (You can slice this piece into 1/2-inch thick slices and out flesh into star shapes ones with a cookie cutter, see pictorial #8 below)



5) Do the same on the other side of the watermelon to create the “handle” of the basket.

6) Scoop out the flesh with a melon-baller, be careful not to scrape too deep on the bottom as part of the skin was cut off as the base.

7) Make zig-zag cuts with a paring knife, all the way through the rind and on the handle.

8) Use a cookie cutter to cut out other fun shapes.



It’s fun and easy, right? I hope you enjoy today’s pictorial.



Lemon zest and lemon juice really brighten up the flavor of this dessert. The basil adds a nice zing and depth of flavor to the melons. When I bit into one of these melon bubbles, it burst in my mouth because of the sparkling grape juice it absorbed. It’s so much fun to eat.



I hope you’re inspired to get your own watermelon and carve something fun. Give this recipe a try; I’m sure you’ll love it as much as my family does.





Join Kitchen PLAY, the National Watermelon Promotion Board and some of your favorite food bloggers for a Twitter Party on January 22 at 7 PM ET where we’ll be chatting about this tasty, nutritious and versatile fruit, and testing our watermelon knowledge.  You’ll also be eligible to win great watermelon prizes, so RSVP for the Twitter Party here!
Also, beginning today, read all 6 posts at Kitchen PLAY sponsored by Watermelon for clues. Each post contains an "watermelon fact" that may appear as a trivia question during the Twitter Party.

Tuesday, January 22

7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PST

Follow the hashtag #All4Watermelon

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post by the Watermelon.org and Kitchen PLAY.  As always, all opinions are 100% my own. 

Marx Foods Challenge — Fregola Sarda Pudding and Ginger Snap Cookies — Vegan Friendly Recipes

I was thrilled to be selected to participate in the Marx Foods Fregola Sarda Blogger Recipe Challenge—Dessert!  Marx Foods carries the world’s finest foods, from meat, seafood, produce, to herbs, spices, sauces and even desserts, & etc.  If you haven’t been to their site, it’s time to check it out, my foodies friends.  You’ll be amazed by the varieties of products they carry, even hard to find ingredients.





For this particular challenge, Marx Foods sent me a sample package of Medium Fregola Sarda (Italian couscous), Vanilla Beans, Star Anise, and Saffron Threads as shown in the picture above.  (Please feel free to click on each ingredient to learn more about them.)  The rule of the challenge is to use the fregola to create a dessert recipe along with at least one of the other three ingredients in the sample package.  Sounds like fun, huh?  It really is. 



The samples Marx Food sent me was in high quality. The fragrant and aroma were wonderful when I opened the package.  Imagine how good my kitchen smelled as I was preparing my dishes using these ingredients! They were simply awesome.  I was up to the challenge and I couldn’t resist from using everything (instead of just '1 other ingredient' as the rules have stated) from my sample package. All the ingredients went so well with each other in the recipe I created. The quality of these ingredients surely makes a big difference.



The recipe that I created, Fregola Sarda Pudding, was inspired by the marriage of (the appearance of) rice pudding and (the flavor and appearance of) a traditional dessert from Hong Kong 椰汁西米露 (using coconut milk and tapioca).  The result was amazing!  Over all, it’s a rich, fragrant and satisfying dessert.  The texture was silky, smooth, and tender.  The sweetness from the vanilla bean balanced really well with the nutty flavor from the fregola (because of the toasting process, that's why the color of the fregola varies from a light creamy tan to a very dark brown).  The liquorish flavor from the star anise balanced out the richness from the coconut milk; and the cloves added a depth of flavor to the over all dessert.  The saffron thread added a pungent earthy and slightly bittersweet flavor to the fregola which went nicely with the nutty flavor from the fregola.  The saffron threads also imparted the yellow color to the fregola, which was fun, vibrant and simply exotic!



The warmth flavors from the Fregola Sarda Pudding really reminded me of fall and winter.  I couldn't help but to pair it with some Gingersnap cookies for a crunchy contrast.  I love that contrast in the textures.  Mind you, these gingersnap cookies really snap!  They are crunchy and the flavor goes hand in hand with the Fregola Sarda Pudding.



Boy, I just love this close up picture above.  You can totally see the vanilla seeds on the fregola pudding!  It’s such a fun dessert to prepare and to serve.  I’m sure my vegan friends would be especially happy that I have another lovely recipe that they can enjoy.  Thank you all for visiting and reading today.  Hope you would love the recipes as much as my family does.

Judging:
After December 4th, Marx Foods will post links to all entered recipes on the Marx Foods blog & two champions will be picked.  One will be selected via reader poll on their blog.  The other will be chosen by the participants of this Challenge and the MarxFoods.com staff.

The  Prize:
Each champion will receive $100 worth of baking ingredients from MarxFoods.com (their choice). 


Disclaimer: I received the sample package as shown on this post from Marx Foods for free to participate in the Fregola Dessert Challenge for a chance to win the contest prize.  I was not compensated in any other way to write this post.  All opinions are 100% my own and always will be.




Fregola Sarda Pudding (Vegan friendly)
Serves 4 Printable Recipe

2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
2-inch fresh ginger root, peeled and slightly smashed with the back of a knife
1 star anise
2 cloves
a generous pinch of saffron threads
1 vanilla bean
1 cup Fregola Sarda

In a medium pot, bring coconut milk and water to a boil.  Reduce to low heat, add sugar, ginger root, star anise, cloves and saffron into the pot to simmer. 

Split the vanilla bean in half, length-wise.  Scrape the seeds inside and add both the seeds and the vanilla pod into the coconut mixture.  Rinse the fregola sarda in cold water, then add them into the pot and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the size), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.   

After simmering for 15 to 20 minutes, remove from heat and cover the pot with a lid.  Let the fregola sarda pudding stand for another 10 minutes to fully absorbed the liquid.

When ready to serve, check the doneness of the fregola sarda.  Remove the vanilla pod, start anise and cloves.  You can return the pot to low heat and warm up the pudding right before serving.

Gingersnap Cookies (Vegan friendly)
Makes 36 to 40 cookies Printable Recipe

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground star anise*
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons soymilk (or coconut milk)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeded (or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.  In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, star anise and cloves until well combined, set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the canola oil, molasses, soymilk(or coconut milk), sugar, vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla extract), stir until blended.  Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient mixture.  Stir until well incorporated.

On a lightly floured surface and rolling pin, roll the dough into 3/8-inch thickness.  Floured a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter and stamp out cookies (use a small, round cookie cutter to stamp out the center to create the one hanging on the spoon as shown in the picture).  Place cut out cookie dough on prepared baking sheet, place each one at least 1/2-inch apart. 

Bake for 7-8 minutes, let cool on the baking sheet until cool enough to handle.  Transfer to a wiring rack to cool completely.  Enjoy with the Fregola Sarda pudding or store in an air tight container.

*Note: I used a mortar and pestle to grind my spices.  You can also use a spice grinder/coffee grinder to do the job.  But be sure to clean it well before and after grinding.  Or, simply dedicate one for spices.  Click here to get some tips from Marx Foods on grinding whole spices.




This recipe is shared with:

Sweets for Saturday
On the Menu Monday
Tuesday Talent Show
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Full Plate Thursday