Grilled watermelon a star dessert

(These watermelon stars are topped with a pineapple-mascarpone cream)

What's a Fourth of July get-together without a fresh watermelon?

Sweet, juicy and bursting with summer flavor, watermelon is a refreshing treat on a hot summer day. And we finally had a couple of hot summer days in the Hudson Valley this past weekend!

I decided to play around with grilling watermelon for the Fourth. This turned out to be a simple dessert with a big "wow" factor.

Star-shaped cookie cutters produced perfect little melon stars which I lightly brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt before grilling on each side for about 2 minutes.
Topped with a mascarpone-pineapple cream, these patriotic melon stars were a perfect finish to the holiday barbecue.
Experiment with different shapes and different melon. Fresh pineapple would work as well; mix in crushed fresh strawberries or raspberries with a little honey in the mascarpone to top it off.

Grilled Watermelon Stars with Mascarpone-Pineapple Cream

Makes about 18 4-inch stars

1. 1 small seedless watermelon
2. 1/2 250-gram container mascarpone
3. 1/2 cup of crushed canned pineapple
4. Dash of vanilla
5. Sprinkling of cinnamon
6. Olive oil
7. Salt
   

• Slice the watermelon into 1 1/2-inch-thick rounds.
• Use a cookie cutter to make shapes in the melon, or use a mason jar lid for circles.
• Lightly brush the melon shapes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Grill about 2 minutes per side.
  

For the cream:

• Mix together the mascarpone and pineapple, taking care not to use too much of the juice.
• Add the vanilla and cinnamon.
• Mix well.
• Place a dollop of the cream mixture on top of the melon shapes.
• Top it off with a fresh blueberry.
  

These can be made ahead and frozen for an icy treat.