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Rainbow Cookies

Writer's picture: Hope SaxonHope Saxon

These are a staple at Italian bakeries and Jewish delicatessens alike, and depending on where you live, they'll be called either a cake or a cookie. Whatever you call it, the actual baked good is three layers of dyed and lightly almond flavored cake sandwiched with raspberry jam and topped with a chocolate coating, and it has quickly become one of my favorite desserts since moving to Philly! These take a fair amount of effort and time, so best to make them for a special occasion, they're sure to impress whoever you serve them to!

Makes 22 cookies

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs (separated)

1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup almond paste

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons raspberry jam

3 Tablespoons milk

3 drops green food coloring

3 drops red food coloring

2 drops yellow food coloring

1/2 cup chocolate, chopped


Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F. Beat together the butter and egg yolks until fully combined, then the almond paste and mix until combined (no lumps of paste should be visible). In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites and sugar until the mixture is shiny, thick and ribbon like or holds soft-medium peaks. Then, in another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture in two batches, scraping down the bowl with each addition. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts and milk. Fold in the egg whites gently until fully incorporated.


Step 2: Separate the cake batter into 3 equally sized bowls. Drop 1 color into each bowl and mix until the color is completely incorporated into the batter. Pour 1 color batter into a 9x5 loaf pan and bake for about 10 minutes, until the cake has just set (it won't be shiny anymore and just barely browned around the edges). Repeat with each color batter, baking each color cake separately. Allow cakes to cool.


Step 3: Once the cakes have cooled. Spread 2 teaspoons raspberry jam on top of the green sponge, then stack the yellow sponge on top of that. Repeat the jam step on the yellow layer, then stack the pink layer on top (don't put the jam on top of the pink layer).


Step 4: Arrange the cake between two plates or place all into one loaf pan and then place another pan on top and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or even overnight. This smooshes each layer down, making the jam soak in and the cake easier to cut into cookies/bars.



Step 5: Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double broiler until smooth. Pour the chocolate over the cake, and spread it evenly on the top and over the sides. Allow the chocolate to set in the fridge, at least 20 minutes, then slice the cake from the short side then cut each slice in half. Enjoy!


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