Cantaloupe Pie I Food

CANTALOUPE PIE I

Steps:

• Select a cantaloupe of good quality. Cut in half, remove seeds, and scoop pulp into a saucepan. Place pulp over medium heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Mash the cantaloupe as it heats. This should make about 2 cups of pulp.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and salt. Add to heated cantaloupe and cook, stirring, until thick. The amount of flour seems large, but it takes considerable thickening to obtain correct consistency.
• In a large bowl, beat egg yolks; add water to yolks. Add a little of the cantaloupe mixture to egg yolks in order to heat yolks gradually. Stir egg yolks mixture into cantaloupe mixture. Continue cooking, stirring, until thick and creamy. Remove from heat.
• Add butter or margarine and flavoring to the cantaloupe mixture.
• Pour into baked pie shell.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until frothy. Continue beating, adding the 6 tablespoons sugar gradually; beat until thick peaks form. Top the pie with this meringue.
• Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) until delicately brown on top.

CANTALOUPE CREAM PIE II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place flour and powdered sugar in large bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch deep dish pie plate.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Place the cantaloupe in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a 2 or 4 cup measuring cup, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt, and then stir into the cantaloupe. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a low boil and begins to thicken. Beat egg yolks and water together in a small bowl. Gradually stir in small amounts of cantaloupe mixture to prevent yolks from curdling. Pour yolk mixture back into pan and continue cooking for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Once cooled slightly, pour into pre-baked, cooled pie shell.
• In a bowl, cream together the Neufchatel cheese and sugar. Beat in milk and vanilla until smooth, then fold in thawed frozen whipped topping until well blended. Spread evenly over cantaloupe layer. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

CANTALOUPE PIE

Steps:

• Peel and seed the melon, cut in chunks and process in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Pour into a large mixing bowl; set aside.
• Combine 1/2 melon puree and cream cheese in blender.
• Process until smooth.
• Add to remaining puree and set aside.
• Combine sugar, gelatin and orange juice in a small saucepan.
• Cook on low heat, stirring until sugar and gelatin dissolve.
• Slowly add to melon mixture, stirring well.
• Pour into crust.
• Chill until firm.
• Garnish pie with Cool Whip and melon balls.

RIPE CANTALOUPE PIE

Steps:

• To make the piecrust, combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and cut it into the flour mixture - one chunk at a time - using a pastry blender or two knives, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Gradually add the ice water, blending until the dough adheres and is no longer crumbly. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly, pressing the dough away from you with the heel of the hand. Gather into a ball, flatten into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for half an hour.
• To make the filling, beat the egg yolks with the milk and one-third cup of sugar in a heavy saucepan. Add the cantaloupe and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture is somewhat thickened and the cantaloupe is soft, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the piecrust dough and fit it into two nine-inch pie pans. Crimp the edges and prick the bottom with a fork. Line the pans with foil, and weight with beans or aluminum pie weights. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, removing the weights and foil during the last five minutes. Place on a rack to cool.
• Fill the cooled pie shells with the cantaloupe mixture.
• In a bowl, make a meringue by beating the egg whites until foamy. While still beating, add the cream of tartar. Continue beating until soft peaks form. Then beat in the six tablespoons of sugar, one at a time, until stiff peaks form.
• Spread the meringue mixture on the pies, making sure to fill in the pies completely and to cover the edges of the crust. Bake for eight to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting. Serve immediately when cool, as the pies do not keep long.