Kool-Aid and Other Childish Things

April 28, 2005 4:49 PM

A recent burst of unseasonably warm weather kicked me Proust-style back to the childhood joy of well made Kool-Aid. Who hear would care to share their personal favorite recipes for Kool Aid, Jell-O drinks, etc.? Eccentric and unexpected combinations happily welcomed; I would like to keep things on the Shirley Temple side, though, so no Kool Aid cocktail recipes please.
posted by boombot to Food & Drink (6 answers total)

The colours that should not be...

Anyways, Kool-Aid is great for homemade slurpees. I use the Top Secret Recipes 7-Eleven® Cherry Slurpee® recipe as a base, substituting whatever flavour Kool-Aid I happen to have on hand.

2 cups cold club soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon cherry-flavored unsweetened Kool-Aid
1/2 teaspoon cherry extract (leave it out / substitute another extract if not making a cherry slurpee)
2 1/2 cups crushed ice

Pour 1 cup of the club soda into a blender. Add the sugar, Kool-Aid mix, and cherry extract. Blend this until all of the sugar is dissolved. Add the crushed ice and blend on high speed until the drink is a slushy, smooth consistency, with no remaining chunks of ice. Add the remaining club soda and blend briefly until mixed. You may have to stop the blender and use a long spoon to stir up the contents. If necessary, put the blender into your freezer for 1/2 hour. This will help thicken it up. After 1/2 hour remove blender from freezer and, again, blend briefly to mix. This recipe yields one 32-ounce drink (or two 16-ouncers).
posted by obiwanwasabi at 5:07 PM on April 28, 2005

Why mess with perfection?
Tropical Punch Kool-Aid is the best drink ever.
posted by thefinned1 at 6:33 PM on April 28, 2005

Perhaps not what you're looking for, but you can always dye some yarn with those pretty colours.
posted by heatherann at 7:00 PM on April 28, 2005

Not too exciting but I make it with Splenda instead of sugar.
posted by Mitheral at 9:28 AM on April 29, 2005

Instead of regular water, use carbonated water. The bubbles make any drink funner. I tend to like citrus flavours, so I would use lemon, lime or orange Kool-aid. Add slices/wedges of the same fruits as garnishes.
posted by deborah at 9:38 AM on April 29, 2005

First:
Kool-Aid in the icecube trays. After they're frozen, add to some regular Kool-Aid. Your ice doesn't dilute the drink.

Second:
Make Grape Kool-Aid at double strength. (half the water) Add to crushed ice and about two or three drops of mint extract. Very refreshing.
posted by mcescher at 6:17 PM on April 29, 2005