Estimated time:
1.5 hours (perhaps more, w/optional cookie press)

Number of servings:
yield: approx. 5 dozen

Ingredients: (Hit your return key to start a new line)
3 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) butter, softened

1 c. sugar

*1-2 small pkg. (same flavor) fruit-flavored gelatin mix

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine flour with baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar, and one package of gelatin together with electric mixer, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape sides of bowl and beat a li'l bit more. Whup in the egg and the vanilla. Add the flour mixture gradually, beating thoroughly each time more is added.

Dough can be chilled Briefly and used in a cookie press, or simply pinch off portions of dough and roll it into one-inch balls, place on cookie sheet, and press 'em flat with the bottom of a drinking glass. See below for a few more specifics, but the baking temp. and time will be 6-9 minutes for spritz/pressed cookies, and 10-12 minutes for "roll n' flatten" type. Watch Very closely in the last minutes; the goal is for the cookies to be completely set, and of course, not raw. Light brown at the edge of the cookies would be about Perfection, which simply takes a little vigilance toward the end of baking. For butter cookies, the time differential between Perfection and light scorch is slight. (Still tasty, but not the ones you'd put on a party platter.)

Other suggestions and comments:
* the second box of gelatin can be used for sprinkling on top of the cookies prior to baking.
That makes for a nice flavor, but if it goes on too heavy in places, it can have a 'muddy' look to the top. If you choose that route, funnel the gelatin packet into a shaker with very small holes, in an effort to dispense it more evenly. (Tearing a small bit of the corner off the packet, and dispensing directly, was neither the best nor the worst method ;-) I have at least half a packet of gelatin left over, and dibs n' dabs o' stuff can take over the pantry, if you let 'em.

We used Strawberry gelatin, and the cookies tasted great! I think I would tend to just use a minimal amount of ordinary Colored Sugar sprinkles for the decorative effect, and skip that second box of gelatin.

Cookie Stamps might be a fun thing to use, vs. the drinking glass for flattening cookie balls. Dip the glass/stamp in granulated sugar before each 'squish'; might have to moisten the glass or stamp w/a bit o' water to get the sugar to stick for the very first go at it.