Apple Turnover Murder

WATERMELON COOKIES

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

1 package (.16-ounce) watermelon (or any other flavor) Kool-Aid powder (Don’t get the kind with sugar or sugar substitute added.)

1 and ²/₃ cup white (granulated) sugar

1 and ¼ cups softened butter (2 and ½ sticks, 10 ounces)

2 large eggs, beaten (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

½ cup white (granulated) sugar in a bowl

Hannah’s 1 ^st Note: When Brandi makes these cookies, she rolls them out on a floured board and uses cookie cutters. Rolled cookies take more time than other types of cookies, so Lisa and I modified Brandi’s recipe for use at The Cookie Jar.

Mix the watermelon Kool-Aid with the granulated sugar.

Add the softened butter and mix until it’s nice and fluffy.

Add the eggs and mix well.

Mix in the salt and the baking soda. Make sure they’re well incorporated.

Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.

Spray cookie sheets with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. You can also use parchment paper if you prefer.

Roll dough balls one inch in diameter with your hands. (We use a 2-teaspoon cookie scooper at The Cookie Jar.)

Roll the cookie balls in the bowl of white sugar and place them on the cookie sheet, 12 to a standard-size sheet.

Bake the Watermelon Cookies at 325 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes (mine took 11 minutes) or until they’re just beginning to turn golden around the edges. Don’t overbake.

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for no more than a minute, and then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: Approximately 6 dozen pretty and unusual cookies that kids will adore, especially if you tell them that they’re made with Kool-Aid.

Hannah’s 2 ^nd Note: Brandi’s mother baked these cookies to send to school on birthdays. She used a number cookie cutter that matched Brandi’s or her sister’s age that year.