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Friday, June 8, 2012

Jello Cookies


Yesterday, I had five little girls and one adorable little boy under the same roof. All under the age of six. 

Mind you, two of them are mine, but as any parent knows, sometimes your own children can be the work of 5 extra kids. You do the math. Then times that number by giggles, grilled cheese sandwiches, and stocks with high dividends and you'll get the average diaper changes plus cups of tea needed. Don't forget to sprinkle generously with APR financing, of course. Did you understand that? 

All it means is that some people would have a full blown panic attack if they were in my shoes.

It was non-stop super fun from 8am until 7pm. (Feel free to throw a little sarcasm in that sentence). I am convinced now more than ever that if I could just find a way to harness the energy kids possess, I'd be one very rich Mama. Cha. Ching. In the million billions my friends.

For some *ahem* 'quiet' time, I found this recipe via Pinterest. These are so colorful, fun, and yumm-mmy. I can't believe it's 2012 and these aren't a staple in my home for craft time. We all had oodles of fun playing, creating, and baking. 

That is until someone went and poked their eye out. And got some dough stuck up their nose. And spilled chocolate milk all over the floor.

Yeah, it's always fun and games until someone goes and does that. And it's usually my children that are perfect for the job. 

But I wouldn't have them any other way.



JELLO COOKIES
Recipe adapted and slightly modified from I {heart} Nap Time

3½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 packages flavored gelatin, like Jello - I used strawberry, orange, berry blue, and lime, but feel free to use any flavor

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a cookie sheet with silicone mats or parchment paper. 

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture.


Divide dough into 4 sections. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of gelatin into each section. Knead into dough until incorporated. You may want to add a few drops of food coloring to make the dough more vibrant.


Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Pour extra jello from the packets into small bowls and roll around to cover. We also used plain sugar. The girls thought the plain sugar looked more like pixie dust. And isn't it always about the pixie dust?


Place about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten with bottom of glass.


Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for a couple minutes. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  

Yields: 5 dozen Jello Cookies