When you think of “Fourth of July” food, you might think of the phrase “as American as apple pie.” But have you considered “as American as Neapolitan ice cream?” If you live in a part of the country where it is too freaking hot to turn on your oven for the sake of pie, let me introduce you to the Fourth of July “Neapolitan” ice cream trio: raspberry, lime, and blueberry.
Okay, first things first. My ingredients picture shows Coconut Cream but the fice creamI made actually uses Coconut Milk. How did it magically change from cream into milk? Well I started making my base and then got really busy doing two jobs, then I went out of town, then I came back and got super sick sick for a week, and in that amount of time the coconut cream base I had started formed many, many ice crystals. So I started all over again but had no more chilled coconut cream. That’s just to say, please do use coconut cream (or two cans of coconut milk) if you have it. Neopolitan ice cream with one can of coconut milk meant I had very little of each flavor.
So let’s start with the ice cream ingredients:
1 can full fat unsweetened coconut milk (or cream)
Remember to chill this for at least 2 days in the fridge!
1/4 c sugar
Note: if you use two cans of coconut milk, you might consider increasing this to 1/3 c but I would probably not go all the way up to 1/2 c unless you love sweets! We will be adding fruit though so keep that in mind.
1 pinch salt
Blueberries, Raspberries, and fresh lime or lime juice
Note: you will divide your base into thirds, so use whatever amount of fruit you prefer. If you’re using only one can of coconut milk, and you divide your base evenly into thirds then you’ll probably need a handful of each berry and the juice of 1/2 lime.
Optional: Coconut shavings and sprinkles
Make the Base:
In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, salt, and coconut fat.
Using a hand or stand mixer, mix all ingredients on low until combined.
Once ingredients are combined, increase mixing speed to high until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Cover with cling wrap and chill in freezer for 1 hour.
Make the Flavors:
Remove the large bowl from the freezer and scoop 1/3 of the base into a smaller freezer safe bowl. Whisk in raspberries, blueberries, or lime juice.
Note: I only had room for my large bowl and one small bowl in my freezer, so I made one flavor at a time, by scooping the base into the larger bowl and storing my finished flavors in these reusable containers from Williams Sonoma (but you can use any freezer safe container).
Repeat process for the other two flavors. (It might be helpful to break up the berries with a spatula prior to whisking.)
Return bowl to freezer and whisk every hour until you reach your desired consistency for each flavor.
On another note, it’s absolutely WILD to me that no one has eaten ice cream at the Malibu Sands beach club yet! Will that change in the weeks to come? Only time will tell.
But first, let’s check in with our friends at Malibu Sands. They’ve got a full slate with “the staff versus member games followed by the Miss Liberty Pageant and the Fireworks Ball.” To make things even more dramatic, Zack convinces Stacey to participate in the pageant and Lisa challenges Slater to an obstacle course duel. There’s a lot going on here, people!
With Stacy competing the pageant, Mr. Carosi must recuse himself. He nominates Zack to judge in his place — which is sooooo hard for Zack to handle because every single contestant starts demanding his support in the pageant. But he only has eyes for Stacy! The almost kiss when she shows off her Miss Liberty outfit, but Slater interrupts them. So Zack has to settle for a date to the dance instead.
Things start off with a not-at-all-awkward members vs. staff obstacle course with Lisa and Slater. Lisa crushes it. Slater falls like three times. There’s still some animosity at the tug-of-war challenge when Lisa loses and falls into a pity of sandy water. She then pushes Slater into the water after he gives her a towel (and some light ribbing). Slater smooths things over by asking her to go to the dance with him. So like huh. That’s an interesting couple pairing that I completely forgot about. I’d kind of like to see more of this for curiosity’s sake.
This brings us to the Miss Liberty pageant where Jessie is dressed like the statue of liberty…surprised she would even agree to participate in a beauty pageant but if she did, she would definitely wear a very modest costume celebrating a historic representation of women’s power. Lisa and Stacey are wearing like really gaudy (even for 1991) red, white, and blue outfits that feel like they are sad mall knockoffs of Versace SS1990. Kelly is wearing a white prairie dress with giant blue polka dots and red trim with a white-starred red apron. Because of course she is.
Anyway, after the costume contest or whatever. It’s time for the platform speech. Each contestant must say what the Fourth of July means to her.
Lisa Turtle: The Fourth of July means freedom, liberty, and 50% off sales at all major department store.
Jessie Spano: The Fourth of July means America, our country, well actually it’s not our country…it belonged to the Indians who inhabited…
(This is why we stan Jessie.)
Stacey Carosi: To me the Fourth of July means a time of togetherness, a time of family, friends, fun, and fireworks. That’s the fourth.
And last but certainly not least. We have Kelly Kapowksi, ignoring the rest of the democratized world…
Kelly Kapowski: To me the Fourth of July celebrates something that our ancestors gave their lives for, something that makes our country stand apart from so many others. Today, on our nations birthday' let us remember that one gift that makes America so special — freedom.
It’s certainly eloquent, but is it enough for Kelly to win??? Sadly for Zack, there is no blind voting in this pageant. The first vote is for Stacey Carosi. The second vote is for Kelly Kapowski. And Zack must break the tie! Or like idk just vote for Lisa or Jessie? But no, Zack votes for Kelly! Why are there only three judges at this thing??
Things don’t go well for Zack after that. Mr. Carosi fires him and Stacey refuses to go to the dance with him. Kelly tries to make nice with Stacey, who thinks Kelly only one because of her history with Zack. Kelly assures her that nothing is going on and Zack looooves Stacey.
Stacey rushes off to find Zack sitting pensively on the beach. They apologize to each other. Meanwhile back at the dance, I’m shipping Lisa and Slater!!! Why didn’t I remember these two having such chemistry?
Stacey gives Zack his job back since his firing was a whole employment law nightmare to begin with. They share a kiss at the fireworks and there is a lotttt of mood muzak.
We’re halfway through the series and I’m starting to realize the reason I love this arc so much is there is NO MR. BELDING! I much prefer Pumbaa, I mean Mr. Carosi to Mr. Belding. How about you? Let me know your thoughts on the episode and/or the recipes in the comments!
You make this look so easy!