When stopping by the local distributor to stock up on take-out containers and that sort of thing before Christmas, I noticed that they had a great assortment of dried fruit. Among the usual pineapple, papaya, apricots, etc., I noticed that they had cantaloupe as well. I had never seen dried cantaloupe before, so I was eager to try it. I snacked on some, but I would actually have preferred it if it had been unsweetened. Most places seem to sell sweetened dry fruit, which is one reason I like the local Amish market - you have the option of unsweetened.
Knowing that cantaloupe and prosciutto pair so well together, I decided to try using some of the cantaloupe to make scones. I like them at room temp, but holy cow, when I tried one hot out of the oven, I was shocked by how concentrated the cantaloupe flavor was. What a happy find this turned out to be!!
INGREDIENTS :
2 1/2 c flour
5 t baking powder
4 t sugar
2 lg eggs
3/4 stick of butter
3/4 c heavy cream
1 c chopped dried cantaloupe
3 oz pkg prosciutto, diced
Normally, when making scones, I'll combine the dry ingredients, cut in the butter, then add the cream and eggs, followed by whatever add-ins I'll be using. Then I pat out the dough and use round fluted cookie cutters to shape them. For some reason, last night, I just threw everything but the cantaloupe in prosciutto together in the food processor and gave it a spin, turned it out onto my work surface and quickly kneaded in the cantaloupe and prosciutto. If you over-work the dough, the scones will be tough.
I decided to go with the more rustic approach of patting the dough into a disc and cutting it into wedges for a change. I used a pizza wheel to cut them. Bake at 350° on parchment-lined baking tray until golden, 30-35".
All I can say is that I hope I can find the cantaloupe again. I'd hate to think this will be the one and only time I get to have these! They were that perfect combination of sweet and salty, with a flaky tender center and slightly crisped edges. I suppose I could dry my own cantaloupe ...
