Icy Strawberries and Melon

Description

Yield: 8 serving

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup sugar
• ⅔ cup water
• 1½ pint baskets fresh California strawberries
• 1½ cups cantaloupe cubes
• 2 tablespoons crème de cassis (black currant liqueur), optional
• Strawberry cream sauce (recipe follows)
• 1½ cups cantaloupe and/or honeydew melon balls
• mint sprigs

Strawberry cream sauce

• ½ basket strawberries
• ¼ cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

1. In small saucepan, stir sugar and water over medium heat to dissolve sugar.
2. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Cool to room temperature.
4. Stem 1 basket of the strawberries and puree in container of electric blender with the cantaloupe cubes, lemon juice and crème de cassis.
5. Stir in cooled sugar mixture.
6. Pour into shallow bowl and freeze until mixture is firm about 1 inch around edge.
7. Break up with spoon and beat until almost smooth.
8. Cover and freeze several hours until firm.
9. To serve, set aside strawberry cantaloupe ice at room temperature 20 minutes.
10. Spoon 2 tablespoons strawberry cream sauce each into 8 shallow serving dishes.
11. Top with balls, small scoops of strawberry cantaloupe ice and the remaining strawberries, dividing equally.
12. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Strawberry cream sauce

1. Stem strawberries and purée in container of electric blender.
2. Stir in whipping cream and powdered sugar.