Watermelon Fruit Bowl Recipes

Steps:

• With a large, sharp knife, remove the top 1/4 section of the watermelon. With a melon baller, scoop flesh from inside of watermelon, removing as many seeds as possible. Leave 1/2 inch of flesh inside the shell of the watermelon. Scoop cantaloupe and honeydew in the same manner, removing as much flesh as possible, and discarding the rinds. Refrigerate fruits separately until ready to assemble.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat, and continue stirring until sugar has completely dissolved. Add lemon zest, and set aside to cool.
• To serve, place watermelon balls, cantaloupe, honeydew, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, and grapes, in a large mixing bowl. Pour syrup over, and toss thoroughly. Transfer mixture to watermelon bowl, and serve. Set aside any fruit mixture that will not fit. There will be enough fruit to refill the bowl.

Steps:

• Using a large chef's knife, cut both watermelons in half lengthwise through the stem. With a melon half flesh side up, cut vertical lines into the flesh (leaving rind intact) 1 inch apart and about 2 inches deep along the length of each half, leaving a 1-inch border of flesh on both ends. Repeat this process with the lines going in the opposite direction. Use a spoon to scoop out the watermelon pieces into a large bowl (it's okay if some of the spears break in half as you are doing this.) Repeat with the remaining melon halves. Use the spoon to remove as much of the flesh left in the watermelon halves as possible and save for another use.
• Cut 1 1/2 inches off both ends of 2 of the watermelon halves (these halves will become the middle parts of the bowl). Cut 1 1/2 inches off one end of the 2 remaining halves (these will become the bookends of your bowl). Use the flesh left in the watermelon ends to stamp out sharks with a 3-inch shark cookie cutter and set aside.
• Use a metal skewer to outline waves along the top edge of each watermelon half. Then carefully cut out the wave pattern using a sharp paring knife. Take one middle piece and one bookend piece and place the flat sides together to create half of the large bowl. Thread the metal skewer through the bottom of the watermelons to secure them together. Repeat this process with the remaining watermelon halves and another metal skewer to create the other half of the large bowl. Place both halves on a large platter with the two middle pieces pushed together (these parts do not need to be secured with a skewer as they will stay together on the platter).
• Fill the assembled watermelon bowl with the reserved watermelon chunks. Mix the berries and grapes together and scatter on top of the watermelon, covering it as much as possible, then add the melon sharks.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Coat a 4-quart ovenproof bowl with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mixes as directed; fold in 2 teaspoons red food coloring and the chocolate chips.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared bowl; bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
• Put the cake flat-side down on a small cardboard circle. Trim 2 opposite sides with a serrated knife to make an oval shape.
• Cover the sides of the cake with a thick layer of frosting; cover the top with a thin layer (this will be the bottom of the cake). Reserve about 1/2 cup frosting for the inside of the cake. Freeze until the frosting is firm, at least 20 minutes.
• Gently pat the sides of the cake with a smooth paper towel to even out any bumps in the frosting.
• Mix 1/2 teaspoon yellow food coloring with a drop of green food coloring and a splash of lemon juice in a small bowl. Paint the yellow-green food coloring all over the side of the cake with a pastry brush.
• Mix 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring with a splash of lemon juice in another bowl. Paint green stripes on the cake, then blend the edges of the stripes with the tip of the pastry brush.
• Put another small cardboard circle on the cake and flip it over. Carve out the center of the cake, about 1 inch deep, leaving a 1-inch border. Cover the center with frosting, leaving the border unfrosted. Freeze the cake 20 minutes.
• Use a paring knife to make zigzag cuts around the rim of the cake. Mound the fruit in the center, covering the frosting completely.

Steps:

• Wash and dry all the fruit.
• With a large veggie peeler/melon carver cut the top third of the watermelon off making a decorative edge of either scallops or peaks. (I wish I had premium so I could post pix). When I was a kid I drew my decorative edge on the melon and carved it with a boning knife but it is faster and easier if you get a tool designed for carving. Scoop the melon out with a small cookie scoop and set aside.
• Cut the cantaloupe into 8ths and cut the rind off. With the french fry blade of your food processor, shred the cantaloupe and set aside. I learned this from Greg Patton host of Pattonly Cooking sponsored by Cuisinart.
• Cut the honeydew in half and seed it. With a melon baller make itty bitty balls and set aside. You can cheat and slice this in your food processer on the thickest blade.
• Cut the pineapple into 8ths and core it. Cut into chunks and set aside.
• Mix melons and pineapples together in a large bowl.
• Quarter the strawberries and mix with the remaining berries and grapes. Do not mix in the raspberries or they will be pulverized.
• Layer the fruits in the watermelon basket, first a layer of the melons and pineapple, then the berries then some raspberries. Save most of the raspberries for the top layer. Continue layering until your melon basket is full and save the remaining fruit in a baggie so you can re-fill the melon basket.
• That's all there is to it! You can carve handles on your basket or leave it open which works better on a buffet as it is easier to access the fruit.
• To make it extra fancy whip up an egg white and dip clusters of grapes in it, then roll in superfine sugar and let dry on waxed paper. Secure the little grape clusters in the edging of the melon basket with a toothpick. I did this for my mother once when she had her lady friends over and it really wowed them as a centerpiece.
• Hope you try this! Have fun doing it with your kids.

Steps:

• To carve melon bowl, cut off top 1/4 of melon. Being careful not to cut through to melon, cut thin slice from bottom of melon so it will sit flat. Scoop out watermelon, leaving 1/2- to 1-inch-thick shell.
• Carve watermelon as shown in steps on right. Wrap melon bowl in plastic wrap to keep moist; refrigerate until ready to fill. At serving time, fill with cut-up fruit.

Steps:

• Add boiling water to gelatin mixes in large bowl; stir 3 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water.
• Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until thickened.
• Add fruit; stir. Pour into Watermelon Bowl. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

Steps:

• Slice the watermelon lengthwise about 1/3 of the way from the top.
• This will be your bowl so you may have to slice a small portion off the bottom in order for it to sit flat.
• Either ball or chunk the watermelon flesh.
• Hollow out the watermelon shell completely.
• Ball or chunk the remaining melons.
• Chunk the pineapple.
• Mix all the fruits in the melon bowl.
• Combine the juices, water and sugar together.
• Pour over the fruits and toss lightly.
• Chill if desired or serve immediately.

Steps:

• Cut 1/2-inch-thick slice from rounded bottom of watermelon half to prevent it from rolling around. Scoop watermelon pulp into large bowl; reserve shell. Blend pulp, in batches, in blender until smooth; pour each batch of juice into separate large bowl. (You should have about 7 cups juice.)
• Pour 2 cups juice into saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add dry gelatin mixes; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add to remaining juice in large bowl; mix well.
• Refrigerate 45 min. or until thickened, stirring every 15 min. Pour into watermelon shell. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. When gelatin is firm, cut away any watermelon rind that extends above the gelatin layer.