A Note Before You Start
I created this recipe for a very small gathering of friends: just 6 of us. The yield is just 18 canapes, but you can easily scale it. Also, I happened to have a 1” fluted biscuit cutter which is what I used here, but any cutter will do or just make cut outs with a paring knife. Just keep in mind the canapes should be small enough to gracefully ‘pop’ the whole thing in your mouth at once.
Ingredients
1 seedless watermelon*
Several ounces of your cheese of choice - I chose to try 2 different cheeses: Boursin and fresh mozzarella (bocconcini) as their sliced size is a perfect fit for the 1” watermelon base, but goat cheese would be good here too.
6 slices of prosciutto di parma
Balsamic glaze**
Fresh basil leaves
Preparation
Step 1
Cut several rounds of watermelon ¼” thick and lay on a cutting board. Using your biscuit cutter (or knife), cut out the desired number of 1” canapes you’d like. Pat the pieces dry and place on a serving plate.
Step 2
Top with your cheese of choice.
Step 3
Next, make little rosettes with the prosciutto to place on top of the cheese. Do this by winding the piece of prosciutto around the tip of your thumb. Each rosette should be about ⅓ of a slice of prosciutto. (I garnished 9 of the ones with fresh mozzarella with a small basil leaf and then topped it with the prosciutto rosette).
Step 4
Drizzle with a balsamic glaze.
Step 5
Keep chilled until ready to serve.
*You will have lots of leftover watermelon. I recommend keeping the leftover ‘bits’ from cutting the shapes out of the watermelon slice and pureeing them in a blender for fresh watermelon juice. I used my leftover puree in my version of watermelon margaritas and for my watermelon vinaigrette.
**If you're short on time, you can buy balsamic glaze at most supermarkets (which I recommend), or you can make your own by reducing 1 cup of balsamic vinegar in a saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil. Watch it closely as this can happen quickly. After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat, and check for a syrup-like consistency. Also, keep in mind it will continue to thicken after it’s been removed from the heat so watch for the early syrup stage. The first time I did this, my syrup became a solid because I didn’t watch it closely enough. 🙄