Oh yeah, I went there.

Because gluten-eating gluttons shouldn’t have all of the fun, I have transformed this season’s most outrageous county fair treat into a g-free ball of fun. Thanks to my sister-in-law’s boyfriend, I am now the proud owner of a “professional deep fryer” and what better way to break it in than making up a batch of deep fried Kool-Aid? Seriously, if you’ve got a better idea, please let me know, because I don’t believe it exists.

One of the most delightful parts of this experiment came in the simple act of making Kool-Aid. I haven’t had this stuff since I was a kid, and my own children have never experienced the joy of liquid, dyed, sugar running down their little gullets. How is it I’ve denied them this pleasure for so long? So I busted out my Mr. Kool-Aid pitcher, which I sent away for with proofs of purchase back in the 1980s, and almost threw out during my latest move. What the heck was I thinking? Behold the beauty:

Look, he’s crying because I abandoned him in the highest cupboard for the last 15 years.

Of course then I realized that you use the powder, not the actual drink for this recipe, so, well — I drank it. Just as good as I remember! And sickening.

On to the makin’! You can use any flavor Kool-Aid you like, but I grabbed cherry because if you’re going to go for it — you should go for it. Also, cherry Kool-Aid has been confirmed as gluten-free. That’s right, along with other gluten-free things that may cause cancer, but your villi will remain intact. Hooray!

Here’s what the crazy batter looks like.

And here’s what they look like frying up nice and crisp in my new professional fryer.

I know you want to know what these beauties taste like, so I’ll tell you: Fried dough with Kool-Aid mixed in. Yep, exactly what you were thinking.

So here’s how you get your gluten-free county fair fix.

Gluten-Free Fried Kool-Aid

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: @4 minutes each batch

adapted from some guy at the fair, and Ask Men

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil for frying

2 cups milk

3 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened Kool-Aid powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 2/3 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1. Beat the eggs and sugar together, then gradually add milk. Then gradually mix in dry ingredients, scraping down sides of bowl as you mix.

2. Heat oil in deep fryer, or a deep pan. Scoop balls of dough (I used an ice cream scoop) and fry in small batches at a medium-high heat, until browned, approximately four minutes per batch.

3. Remove from oil and place on paper towel covered plate. After they have cooled, sprinkle in powdered sugar and serve.

Makes 2 dozen fried Kool-Aid balls