HowTo Make Rainbow Cookies

Intro: HowTo Make Rainbow Cookies

HowTo Make Rainbow Cookies

STEP 1: HowTo Make Rainbow Cookies: Ingredients

Ingredients

Cookie
1 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 tsp. almond extract
4 large eggs
8 oz of seedless preserves (strawberry or raspberry)
10 oz. almond paste
Red food coloring
Green food coloring

Chocolate Layer
2 7 oz. chocolate bars (milk or dark)
3 Tbsp. of butter

Optional
Chocolate sprinkles

STEP 2: HowTo Make Rainbow Cookies: Mixing

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius
- Line three half sheet pans with parchment paper
- Sift flour and salt together and set aside
- Mix butter and sugar until smooth and uniform
- Separate egg yolk from egg whites
- Mix egg yolks, almond paste, and almond extract until smooth
- Slowly add sifted flour and salt then mix until smooth
- Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form
- Fold approximately half whipped egg whites to batter until evenly mixed
- Add remaining egg whites until evenly mixed

STEP 3: HowTo Make Rainbow Cookies: Baking

- Divide batter into equal thirds (2 cups) between two bowls
- In one bowl add 8 drops of red food coloring to batter and mix evenly
- In second bowl add 8 drops of green food coloring and mix evenly
- Spread each bowl evenly in half sheet pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes and test with tooth pick for dryness
- Allow 15 minutes for complete cooling

STEP 4: HowTo Make Rainbow Cookies: Serving

- Using a double boiler or microwave to melt jam
- Spread jam on plain layer
- Using a double boiler or microwave to melt the chocolate bars with 3 Tbsp of butter
- Place green layer on top of plain layer and apply jam
- Place the remaining red layer on top of green layer
- Trim cookie edges
- Apply chocolate evenly across the top layer and sides
- Refrigerate cookie overnight and cut into even pieces and serve

Comments

[randofo]

These cookies are one of the things I miss from being in New York. No one in California makes these. I am surrounded by barbarians. One of these days I should try making them.

[VictoriasPastries]

I understand your comment of missing things from New York. I love NY and all of the cakes, cookies, pastries and amazing foods. I am a native Californian and a Pastry Chef / Caterer and I not only bake these rainbow cookies, but Black and Whites, Macaroons, Cannoli's, Baklava and other amazing goodies from all over the United States and from other Countries. I hear comments like 'Oh My Gosh..I haven't had these since I left NY and these are perfect.
So not everyone in California is a barbarian...there are alot of us that take pride in our diverse baking skills and recipes from all over the world. I hope you find a good baker near you.
And these are easy to make. And almond paste can be a little pricey, but if you go to Food Network.com, Jacque Torres has a wonderful and easy recipe for that and the extra stores very well. Have fun....

[dulcedezigns]

They are easy to make and great gifts all year long. :)

[Rowan_Winterhaven]

These look great! I love the idea of the multiple layers and the flavors of the jams between.

But. I'm confused. I've seen several recipes like this and I keep thinking, "That's not a cookie! It's cake!" The layers look like they have cake-like consistency/texture. The layering is very cake like with the jams as the filling and the chocolate acting like a "frosting".

I saw another recipe that said after you get the layers put together but pre-chocolate that you had to put a sheet of waxed paper then a cookie pan on top then top the pan with heavy books for a while to make the layers kind of meld and stick together before putting the chocolate on.

Maybe someone here can shed some light on the subject for me? Cake or cookie? I'd love to know!

[dulcedezigns]

I am not a professional baker but these are cookies. They are sold at bakeries as a cookie. For the layers, some prefer to place weights, but I prefer to apply more preserves instead to mend the layers. The chocolate is not a frosting, but acts as a complement to balance the sweetness of the preserves and cookie. I hope you enjoy making and eating these treats as much as I do!

[Rowan_Winterhaven]

Thanks for the info! I don't go to bakeries for two reasons: 1) I'm broke most of the time, and 2) I haven't met a recipe yet that I couldn't bake at home.

I'm really excited to try this recipe! I've got some gel food colors left over from the holidays that would make the colored parts brilliantly colored! Oooo... bright yellow, green, and purple for mardi gras... How awesome would that be? lol

Great instructable!

[Ranie-K]

Great photos!

[dulcedezigns]

Thanks! :)