Kool-Aid Cookies

Have you ever just wanted a good sugar cookie? Yesterday, I was walking down the baking aisle at the grocery store and I passed all the drink powder mixes. My mind just took a snapshot of the colorful envelopes. I continued to gather up flour and other pantry items. When I put the flour in my basket the image of those Kool-Aid envelopes flashed back in to my mind's eye and that's when I came up with the brilliant brainwave of mixing one of those drink powders in with my sugar cookie dough!

Would it really work? Maybe they would tastes awful...hmm. I would have to experiment. So, I walked back over to the drink mixes and picked up three Kool-Aid drink mix packets and continued my shopping. In my mind, I was already planning my recipe.

Today, I whipped up a batch of sugar cookie dough, divided it in thirds, added one Kool-Aid packet to each third...stirred...baked...and WOO-HOO, they are really, really, really good!  So colorful and the flavor just takes the cookies over the top. So tangy and tart!  I have to share my creation with you.

Sugar Cookie Dough

• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 stick butter - room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening - room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg - discard shell
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoon Greek yogurt (this is optional, but I add this for added moisture).

To make these Kool-Aid cookies:

• 3 envelopes of Kool-Aid drink mix powder (just the flavored powder with no added sugar and no water).

Directions for Kool-Aid Sugar Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Have your cookies sheets already lined with parchment paper or a Silpat pad.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening.
   
3. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, mix well. (This is where I add in the Greek yogurt.)
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. 
5. Slowly, add in the flour mixture with the butter/sugar mixture and mix until it is a smooth doughy ball.
6. Using three clean bowls, divide the cookie dough evenly into three bowls.
7. Cut open each Kool-Aid envelope and add the contents (powder only) into one bowl...repeat with the next two envelopes and two remaining doughs.
8. Mix in the drink mix powder with the cookie dough for each bowl. Combine
   
   well. Add in some food coloring that matches the Kool-Aid flavor, if necessary. When I made the lemon flavor, I added about 20 drops of yellow food coloring and for the blue, I added about 5 drops of blue food coloring.
9. Stick each bowl of dough into the freezer for 15 minutes.
10. Using a #60 (2 teaspoons) size cookie scoop, scoop out the Kool-Aid dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. Place about 2 fingers apart. Fill the cookie sheet.
11. Place the first cookie sheet on the bottom rack and set timer for 7 minutes.
12. While the first sheet is baking scoop dough onto the 2nd batch of cookie dough.
13. Now, when the timer rings, move the first cookie sheet to the top rack, and put a second cookie sheet on the bottom rack. 
14. Set the time for 7 minutes.
15. Prepare the last cookie sheet.
16. When the timer rings, pull out the first cookie sheet and let the cookies cool for 2 minutes. Move the 2nd cookie sheet in the oven, to the top rack and put the new sheet on the bottom.
17. Set the timer for 7 minutes.
    
18. When the timer rings, remove the 2nd sheet from the oven.  Move the last sheet of cookies to the top rack.
19. Let the 2nd sheet of cookies rest for 2 minutes. Then remove the cookies to the cooling racks.
20. When the timer rings, remove the last sheet of cookies from the oven. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes. Remove the cookies to cool on the racks.
21. Eat and enjoy! Store any leftovers in a zipper style bag.