Description
Sweet memories of childhood come alive with these Italian rainbow cookies, layering almond cake and vibrant colors into a nostalgic dessert. Generations of bakers have perfected this delightful treat that you can now recreate in your own kitchen with simple ingredients and love.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) Almond paste
- 4 large Eggs
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) All-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113 grams) Unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 grams) Granulated sugar
Flavoring and Coloring:
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond extract
- Red food coloring
- Green food coloring
- Yellow food coloring
Additional Ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) Jam (apricot or raspberry)
Instructions
- Prepare the workspace by preheating the oven to 350°F and lining three 9×13-inch baking pans with parchment paper, allowing overhangs for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then incorporate almond paste thoroughly.
- Gradually add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to create a smooth consistency.
- Fold in flour, baking powder, and salt, blending until a uniform dough develops.
- Enhance flavor by stirring in vanilla and almond extracts.
- Divide the dough into three equal portions, then tint each section with food coloring: red, green, and leave one portion natural (yellow).
- Carefully spread the red-tinted dough evenly into one prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
- Bake the red layer for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden, then cool on a wire rack.
- Repeat the spreading and baking process for green and yellow layers, using separate pans.
- Once completely cooled, apply a thin, even layer of apricot or raspberry jam between each colored layer.
- Gently stack the layers, pressing lightly to ensure they adhere together.
- Refrigerate the assembled cookie stack for minimum 2 hours to set and firm up.
- Remove from refrigerator and slice into precise squares or rectangles using a clean, sharp knife between each cut.
- Serve and enjoy these vibrant, layered Italian rainbow cookies.
Notes
- Nail the almond paste texture by ensuring it’s at room temperature and thoroughly mixed to avoid lumps in the dough.
- Prevent color bleeding by using gel food coloring instead of liquid, which provides more vibrant and consistent color without watering down the batter.
- Achieve perfectly even layers by using an offset spatula to spread the dough smoothly and creating a uniform thickness across each colored section.
- Make gluten-free friendly by substituting all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, maintaining the delicate texture of these classic Italian cookies.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg