Italian Rainbow Cookies

Italian Rainbow Cookies

Food Wiki
Whenever we come across Italian Rainbow Cookies on store shelves or behind bakery counters, they never quite live up to our expectations. However, these homemade versions have completely astounded us. These delightful almond-flavored cakes are layered with chocolate and filled with raspberry and apricot jam. While the process may require some time, it doesn't necessarily mean they are difficult to make. It simply involves a generous amount of chilling, allowing you to proceed at your own pace. These cookies remain fresh for days, making them perfect for preparing in advance. Plus, the recipe yields a substantial quantity, so if you can't resist sneaking a square or two before serving, no one will ever suspect a thing! To ensure your success, we have a few helpful tips up our sleeve.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine world cuisine
Servings 28

Ingredients
  

  • Cooking spray
  • 7 oz. almond paste, broken into pieces
  • 1 1/4 c. (2 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1 c. granulated sugar, divided
  • 4 large eggs, seperated
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • Red food coloring
  • Green food coloring
  • 1/3 c. apricot preserves, warmed 
  • 1/3 c. raspberry preserves, warmed
  • 1 1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips, divided 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°. 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 using a hand mixer, beat almond paste and ¾ cup sugar together until light almond paste is broken into smaller pieces and looks crumbly. Add butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and almond extract and beat until incorporated. Add flour and salt and beat until just combined. 
  • In another large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, then slowly add in remaining ¼ cup sugar while beating and continue beating until stiff peaks. Add about ⅓ of the egg whites to the batter and gently fold in until combined, then add the rest of the egg whites and continue gently folding until fully combined.
  • Divide batter evenly into 3 separate bowls. Dye one bowl of batter red and another bowl green, leaving the third one plain. Add batters to prepared pans and use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer. 
  • Bake until no longer shiny and feel just slightly soft when pressed with a finger, 12 minutes. The cakes should be starting to peel from the edges and barely any color will be gained. Let cool 10 minutes in pan, then use the parchment to help lift out and place on cooling racks. Let cool completely. 
  • To assemble the cakes, place a piece of parchment paper over the green layer, then invert layer onto a board. Peel off top piece of parchment paper. Spread warmed apricot preserves over green layer. 
  • Invert white layer onto another board and peel off parchment paper. Gently slide it on top of green layer. Spread warmed raspberry preserves over white layer. Finally, invert red layer onto another board, peel off parchment and gently slide on top of white layer. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of red layer, then place a baking pan on top of parchment. 
  • Weigh down the pan with cans and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. 
  • When ready to coat in chocolate, remove from refrigerator while you temper your chocolate. To temper your chocolate, place ¾ cup chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until chocolate is smooth and reaches between 113° and 118°. Microwave in 5 to 10 seconds bursts as needed to hit your desired temperature. Add remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips a little at a time, stirring until completely melted between additions. Keep stirring until your chocolate reaches 88° or 89°. You can add a little more chocolate as needed to help cool your chocolate down, making sure the new chips melt completely before adding any more. 
  • Add about half of your tempered chocolate on top of the red layer, and working quickly so it doesn’t set, use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer. Refrigerate until chocolate is completely set, 30 minutes. 
  • If your chocolate hardened while the first layer was chilling, microwave in 10 second bursts until smooth and chocolate reaches 89° again. Once chocolate is set, invert onto another board and spread remaining chocolate over the green layer. Refrigerate until chocolate is set or until ready to serve, 30 more minutes. 
  • Using a large knife, trim edges of cakes to get clean sides, then cut into 28 pieces.
Keyword Italian Rainbow Cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Article Categories:
Keto Recipes

Comments are closed.