Yup, yup, we know the Fourth of July is basically meant to be a big old 'F You' to our forefathers and their pesky attempts to slap unnecessary taxes on those that were brave enough to actually make it to America back in the 18th Century, but does that really mean we're not allowed to jump on the Independence Day bandwagon? It might be terribly unpatriotic of us to say so, but celebrating the Fourth of July just seems a little bit more fun than necking Victoria Sponge at Jubilee celebrations. Sorry, Queen Liz.
Here's how to have the best Fourth of July party ever…
The Drink
What’s more American than a Manhattan cocktail? It’s even red FFS. Here’s how to make the perfect one. Plus, make sure you buy some red cups, like they have in The OC. They just look so much classier than actual glasses.
Ingredients
2 parts Rye Whiskey
½ part MARTINI Rosso
1 dash Angostura Bitters (optional)
Lemon Twist or cherry to garnsih
**Method **
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Chill your glass (the easiest way is to fill it with ice)
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Add all of the ingredients to a shaker/stirring glass containing plenty of ice
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Stir gently for around 30 seconds to a minute
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Strain the mixture into the glass
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Garnish with a lemon twist or cherry
The Food
God bless America and their love of all things sweet and sugary. We’re especially taken by this cake from Gimme Some Oven because A) it looks really rather impressive while being impossible to fuck up and B) because it’s got so much fruit on it, it’s bound to be healthy, right? Right.
Ingredients
1 Jus Rol puff pastry sheet
2 cartons (about 8 oz. total) Rachel's Organic coconut Greek-style y0ghurt
3 cups blueberries
3 bananas
1 pound strawberries
Method
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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On a greased baking sheet, lay out the Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet to make a rectangle. (Gently shape the edges if need be, and push down the corners so that they do not flare up) Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked and lightly golden. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired.
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Spread the yogurt on top of the dough sheet so that the entire pizza is covered, leaving a ½-inch border around the outside. Place the blueberries all around the outside to make a border, and then fill in the upper-right quadrant with a rectangle of blueberries.
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On a cutting board, slice the strawberries and bananas into thin coins, and halve them if needed so that they are about the same size. Layer the strawberries and bananas onto the pizza to make red and white stripes.
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Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a few hours.
** Follow Jess on Twitter @jess_commons**
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.