Rainbow Cookies (a.k.a Seven-Layer Cookies)

If you’ve never heard of these lovelies, you are not alone. Rainbow cookies are made of almond cake dyed fun bright colors with apricot preserves all sandwiched in between two thin layers of chocolate.

They really aren’t cookies at all, more like thinly packed cake. But whatever the heck they are, they are delicious!

I don’t really recall these cookies growing up, but my boyfriend (who is from Long Island) absolutely loves them. In fact, he was kind of taken aback when I mentioned I didn’t really know what they were. One of his friends was absolutely horrified; he basically forced me to eat one right then and there which I didn’t complain about. I love them now!

So I wanted to try to make these little guys… I’m not sure why. They are awfully difficult (well, more time consuming than difficult). But I was so darn proud of myself when they were done, I don’t even care about the effort I had to put in! The cookies go by a ton of names… Rainbow, Seven Layer, Neapolitan, Tricolor… but I’m pretty sure they tend to be a Christmas staple in Italian households. I found this recipe on Epicurious.

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 oz) jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 (8 oz) can almond paste
• 2 cups all purpose flour (or cake flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 25 drops red food coloring
• 25 drops green food coloring
• 7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

If you’re in Philadelphia, the Head Nut in Reading Terminal had most of the more difficult ingredients (almond paste, almond extract, bittersweet chocolate). If not, I think you might need to go to a specialty grocer to find them.

Begin by heating the apricot preserves until steaming.

Pour into a strainer covered with a cheesecloth. Set over a bowl and let the excess liquid drip into the bowl while you work on the cakes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line bottom with wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 ends, then butter the paper. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add the egg whites to a large bowl for mixing and set the yolks aside.

Beat whites in mixer fitted with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks.

Add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks. Transfer to another bowl.

Switch to paddle attachment, then beat together almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes.

Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add yolks and almond extract and beat until combined well, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to low, then add flour and salt and mix until just combined.

Fold half of egg white mixture into almond mixture, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among 3 bowls (I found using a scale really helpful for this so that I knew I had three equal amounts of batter). Stir red food coloring into one and green food coloring into another, leaving the third batch plain. Set white batter aside. Chill green batter, covered.

Pour red batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with offset spatula (layer will be about 1/4 inch thick).

Bake red layer 8 to 10 minutes, until just set. (It is important to undercook.)

Using paper overhang, transfer layer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Clean pan, then line with wax paper and butter paper in same manner as above. Bake white layer in prepared pan until just set. As white layer bakes, bring green batter to room temperature. Transfer white layer to a rack. Prepare pan as above, then bake green layer in same manner as before. Transfer to a rack to cool.

When all layers are cool, invert green onto a wax-paper-lined large baking sheet.

Discard paper from layer and spread with half of preserves.

Invert white on top of green layer, discarding paper.

Spread with remaining preserves.

Invert red layer on top of white layer and discard wax paper.

Cover with plastic wrap. Weigh down the cake layers with a cake pan. Chill at least 8 hours.

Remove weight and plastic wrap. Bring layers to room temperature. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Keep chocolate over water.

Trim edges of assembled layers with a long serrated knife.

Quickly spread half of chocolate in a thin layer on top of cake (it’s ok if some drips off the edge, mine did. shh). Chill, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes.

Cover with another sheet of wax paper and place another baking sheet on top, then invert cake onto sheet and remove paper. Quickly spread with remaining chocolate. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

It was suggested to me by Samantha of Little Ferraro Kitchen to freeze the cookies at this point before cutting. It makes cutting much easier. When completely frozen, cut lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut strips crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide cookies.

Woo hoo! I did it!

So, I’m not going to lie. These turned out great, but they aren’t worth the effort. Next time I think I’ll leave it to the experts to make these cookies. But I’m really happy with how they turned out.

It’s ok if the cakes break apart a bit. Mine did. But when you assemble, they all kind of stick together and you’re good to go!

Print

Yum

Rainbow Cookies (a.k.a Seven-Layer Cookies)

Total Time: 12 hours

Yield: 48 cookies

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Ingredients

• 1 (12 oz) jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 (8 oz) can almond paste
• 2 cups all purpose flour (or cake flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 25 drops red food coloring
• 25 drops green food coloring
• 7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

Instructions

1. Begin by heating the apricot preserves until steaming.
2. Pour into a strainer covered with a cheesecloth. Set over a bowl and let the excess liquid drip into the bowl while you work on the cakes.
3. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line bottom with wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 ends, then butter the paper. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add the egg whites to a large bowl for mixing and set the yolks aside.
4. Beat whites in mixer fitted with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks.
5. Add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks. Transfer to another bowl.
6. Switch to paddle attachment, then beat together almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes.
7. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
8. Add yolks and almond extract and beat until combined well, about 2 minutes.
9. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and salt and mix until just combined.
10. Fold half of egg white mixture into almond mixture, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
11. Divide batter among 3 bowls (I found using a scale really helpful for this so that I knew I had three equal amounts of batter). Stir red food coloring into one and green food coloring into another, leaving the third batch plain. Set white batter aside. Chill green batter, covered.
12. Pour red batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with offset spatula (layer will be about 1/4 inch thick).
13. Bake red layer 8 to 10 minutes, until just set. (It is important to undercook.)
14. Using paper overhang, transfer layer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Clean pan, then line with wax paper and butter paper in same manner as above. Bake white layer in prepared pan until just set. As white layer bakes, bring green batter to room temperature. Transfer white layer to a rack. Prepare pan as above, then bake green layer in same manner as before. Transfer to a rack to cool.
15. When all layers are cool, invert green onto a wax-paper-lined large baking sheet.
16. Discard paper from layer and spread with half of preserves.
17. Invert white on top of green layer, discarding paper.
18. Spread with remaining preserves.
19. Invert red layer on top of white layer and discard wax paper.
20. Cover with plastic wrap. Weigh down the cake layers with a cake pan. Chill at least 8 hours.
21. Remove weight and plastic wrap. Bring layers to room temperature.
22. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Keep chocolate over water.
23. Trim edges of assembled layers with a long serrated knife.
24. Quickly spread half of chocolate in a thin layer on top of cake (it’s ok if some drips off the edge, mine did. shh). Chill, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes.
25. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and place another baking sheet on top, then invert cake onto sheet and remove paper. Quickly spread with remaining chocolate. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
26. Freeze the cookies at this point before cutting. It makes cutting much easier. When completely frozen, cut lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut strips crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide cookies.

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