Mouth-Watering Watermelon Bars 

Mouth-Watering Watermelon Bars 

Watermelon and lemon combine in these refreshing, summery bars.
These creamy bars are just the thing to serve after a meal cooked on the grill. Made with watermelon, lemon juice and cream, they're served chilled and are perfectly complimented by a dollop of whipped cream or a dusting of confectioners' sugar.
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  • Total Time : 2 hours 40 minutes
  • Prep Time : 20 minutes
  • Cook Time : 20 minutes
  • Servings : 8

Ingredients

  • 1 box round vanilla wafers (12 oz.), finely ground
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • 5 cups watermelon juice (from about 1/2 of a large watermelon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 small envelopes (1 oz. total) of unflavored gelatin, (see chef’s note)
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar or 1 cup whipped cream, for garnish
 

Directions

step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides of the pan. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
step 2 Mix the melted butter into the finely ground vanilla wafers and add 2 Tablespoons of water. Mix well and press the crumbs onto the bottom of the prepared pan, forming a crust. Bake the crust for 20 minutes and allow to cool.
step 3 Set aside 2 cups of the watermelon juice in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 3 cups of watermelon juice with the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and heavy cream.
step 4 Sprinkle the gelatin over the reserved 2 cups of watermelon juice. Allow to sit for 2 minutes so that gelatin can dissolve and begin to absorb liquid, or "bloom." After the gelatin blooms, heat it in the microwave for 2 minutes on high, or heat gently in a small pot over low heat on the stove top, until the gelatin has completely melted into the juice and the liquid is smooth.
step 5 Add the watermelon juice with the melted gelatin to the larger bowl of juice from Step 3. Stir to combine. Gently pour the mixture over the prepared crust from Step 2 and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until the mixture is firm. (Alternately, place the pan in the refrigerator and allow to set for 3 to 4 hours.)
step 6 Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Before serving, cut the watermelon bars into squares. If desired, sprinkle each serving with confectioners' sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.

chef's notes

To make watermelon juice, simply place the watermelon cubes in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture with a strainer into a bowl.

Unflavored gelatin is commonly packaged in small envelopes (one or more envelopes to a box). Look for it in the pudding and gelatin section of your grocery store.
comments (70)
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recent comments
5/13/2010 , 
Cindy  M.
I have to agree with Dixie on this. I see a bunch of comments complaining about the calories etc. Everything in moderation. It an interesting recipe, Ill be trying it for a potluck at work let you know how it goes.
9/24/2009 , 
Dixie  C.
My gosh,some of you people are so anal about calories, sugars etc.! Why not try using lower-fat, -calorie ingredients instead of griping about it? Also, some of you are griping about prep-time. Either make it or don't, but why post snide comments? I, for one, thank the author for posting such an unusual dessert. We need more of these!
9/3/2009 , 
Donna  S.
I don't know what I did wrong, but I had about 1/4" of the gelatin on the bottom of the bar.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 bar with whipped cream 
Serving Amount 10 
Calories 670 
Calories From Fat 410 
Total Fat 46g 
Saturated Fat 26g 
Trans Fat 1g 
Cholesterol 130mg 
Sodium 230mg 
Total Carbohydrates 54g 
Dietary Fiber 0g 
Sugars 40g 
Protein 17g 
Nutritional information provided by
Compu-Food Analysis, Inc. 
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