Name: Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Cooking spray; Parchment paper (for lining); 7 oz. almond paste, broken into pieces; 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, softened; 1 cup granulated sugar, divided; 4 large eggs, separated; 1 tsp almond extract; 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; Red food coloring; Green food coloring; 1/3 cup apricot preserves, warmed; 1/3 cup raspberry preserves, warmed; 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Ingredients

Cooking spray

7 oz. almond paste, broken into pieces

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

4 large eggs, separated

1 tsp. almond extract

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Red food coloring

Green food coloring

1/3 cup apricot preserves, warmed

1/3 cup raspberry preserves, warmed

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 9” x 13” pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2” hangover on each side. In a large bowl, beat almond paste and ¾ cup sugar with a hand mixer until crumbly. Add butter and beat until light and fluffy. Incorporate egg yolks and almond extract. Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar while beating until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter gently, then fold in the remaining egg whites until fully combined.

Step 3: Divide the batter evenly into three bowls. Tint one bowl with red food coloring, another with green, and leave the third plain. Spread each colored batter evenly into the prepared pans using an offset spatula.

Step 4: Bake layers for 12 minutes until no longer shiny and slightly soft to the touch. Cakes should begin to pull away from edges. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then lift out with parchment and cool completely on racks.

Step 5: To assemble, place parchment paper on the green layer and invert it onto a board. Peel off the top parchment and spread warmed apricot preserves over it.

Step 6: Invert the white layer onto another board, peel off parchment, and gently place on top of the green layer. Spread warmed raspberry preserves over the white layer. Finally, invert the red layer onto a board, peel off parchment, and slide on top.

Step 7: Cover the red layer with parchment and place a baking pan on top. Weight the pan with cans and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step 8: To temper chocolate, microwave ¾ cup chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth and 113° to 118°F. Add remaining ½ cup chips gradually, stirring until melted. Cool to 88° or 89°F by stirring continuously, adding more chips if needed.

Step 9: Spread half of the tempered chocolate over the red layer using an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

Step 10: If chocolate hardens before spreading the second layer, reheat gently until smooth and 89°F. Invert cake onto another board and spread remaining chocolate over the green layer. Refrigerate until set or ready to serve, about 30 minutes.

Step 11: Trim edges for clean sides and cut into 28 pieces. Enjoy your colorful Italian Rainbow Cookies!

Tips & Variations

Use good-quality almond paste for a rich, authentic flavor.

Warming preserves makes spreading easier and prevents tearing the cake layers.

If you don’t have an offset spatula, a regular spatula or butter knife works for spreading batter and chocolate.

For a nut-free variation, omit almond paste and substitute almond extract with vanilla extract.

FAQs

Can I make these cookies gluten-free?

Yes, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend suitable for baking. Be sure to use one that includes xanthan gum for best results.

How do I know when the chocolate is properly tempered?

Tempered chocolate is smooth, glossy, and sets firmly at room temperature without streaking or dullness. It should feel firm to the touch within 30 minutes of spreading and snap cleanly when broken.