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Lemonade Cookies to Make with the Kids

I think it is so important to instill good, healthy eating habits for kids early on. So whether my family and I are dining at a restaurant or preparing a meal at home, we try to make the experience a healthy one.

When it comes to cooking for my family, one way that I keep a meal flavorful without adding fat is by using citrus, vinegars, tomato sauces and salsas. These acidic ingredients are all terrific flavor-builders and will bring a smile to those faces around the table.

One of my favorite citrus-flavored recipes is for Lemonade Cookies.  It's like a magic trick to pull a can of lemonade out of the freezer and say to the kids, "Do you think we can make this lemonade into cookies?" And making these treats en famille is a great way to force a pause in your busy  schedule and, while you're at it, introduce a sunny taste into the summer menu. Here's how I do it:

Lemonade Cookies

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

If you want to make the cookie dough ahead of time, it can be refrigerated for several days if you seal it in two layers of plastic wrap.  Dough straight from the refrigerator should bake for about 12 minutes; dough at room temperature bakes in 8 to 10 minutes.

1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar, plus extra to sprinkle over the cookies

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (optional)

2 large eggs

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Fill a large bowl with warm water and plop in the unopened can of lemonade to thaw while you mix the cookie dough.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer.  Add the lemon zest, if desired.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Continue beating until the mixture is light and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes, then set aside.  Ina separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Measure out ½ cup of thawed lemonade and set the rest aside.  Add about one third of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar.  Stir, then add about one third of the ½ cup lemonade.  Continue adding the flour and lemonade alternately, stirring after each addition, until the mixture shows no streaks of flour.  Beat ion low speed with the mixer just until all the ingredients are combined.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake the cookies, checking them after 8 minutes.  When the edges are just starting to brown, remove the cookies from the oven.  (The centers will look soft.)  Using a pastry brush, immediately brush the top of each cookie very lightly with a little of the remaining lemonade concentrate, then lightly sprinkle with sugar.  Transfer the cookies to a rack and allow them to cool completely.

These Lemonade Cookies are not only great fun for the family to make together, but they taste amazing, too.

However, being a mother, I am concerned that our favorite acidic foods and drinks could damage tooth enamel over time and lead to a condition called acid wear. I learned from my dentist that once tooth enamel is lost it cannot be replaced or repaired, and over time, acid wear can lead to teeth becoming thin and weak as well as cause pain and sensitivity.

Even having said that, I'm not about to give up my morning coffee or citrus-infused entree!  So, instead I protect my pearly whites by brushing with Sensodyne ProNamel, a toothpaste that is specially designed to help protect teeth from acid wear, which helps balance enjoying our favorite foods with protecting our teeth!  

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