••••STAR WATERMELON SALAD!!
| Prep Time | |
| 4 servings | 15 minutes |
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium watermelon
- 1 medium honeydew melon
- 2 cups strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 cups cherries
- 2 tablespoons coconut flakes
- homemade coconut whipped cream(optional)
Ingredients:
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk, chilled for 24 hours*
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sweetener (maple syrup, powdered sugar, cane sugar, etc), to taste
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
Directions:
- Chill the can of coconut milk in the fridge for at least 24 hours. I like to keep a few cans in the fridge at all times so I don’t have to wait.
- About 1 hour before making the coconut whip, chill a mixing bowl in the freezer.
- After chilling the can, open the can and scoop the solid white coconut cream into the bowl. Discard the coconut water or save it for another use (such as coconut water ice cubes).
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until fluffy and smooth. Add in sweetener to taste and vanilla.
- Return whipped cream to fridge until ready to use. It will firm when chilled and soften at room temperature. This will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 week or you can freeze it in an airtight freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month. After chilling in the fridge, allow it to sit at room temperature until it softens slightly and then you can re-whip it as needed.
Tips:
- * Some brands of canned coconut milk will be better than others for making whipped cream, and even some cans within the same brand can vary quite a bit. For whatever reason, the cream and water in some brands or cans do not separate. A few of the most consistent brands for making coconut whipped cream are: Thai Kitchen full-fat coconut milk, Trader Joe’s Coconut Cream (just the cream—no water in the can!), and Native Forest. I always keep at least a few cans of full-fat coconut milk in my fridge at all times just in case I get a “dud”—then I know I have more on hand. If you happen to get a dud don’t be discouraged. Try out one of the brands above, and be sure to chill it for at least 24 hours. Odds are you will find your perfect brand after some trial and error!!
Servings: servings
Instructions
- Cut both the watermelon and the honeydew into 1" slices. Then use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut the melons into stars.
- Cut the strawberries and the cherries into half (leave some intact to put on top of the fruit salad).
- Combine the melon stars, the strawberries, cherries, and blueberries in a large bowl and sprinkle with coconut flakes. If you want you could also serve this 4th of July fruit salad with some homemade coconut whipped cream.
