RAINBOW COOKIES
RAINBOW COOKIES:
30-40 cookies
Ingredients:
Oil/cooking spray/butter for greasing the pans
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz almond paste
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, yolk and white separated
1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)
Red and green food coloring (liquid, gel preferred)
12 oz raspberry jam (can substitute with apricot)
1-2 cups semisweet chocolate (1 cup if you’re only doing 1 chocolate layer, 2 cups if you want to layer chocolate on top and bottom of the cookie)
* You’re going to need 3 cookie sheets (9x13). If you’re like me and want to make life difficult, you can make do with only 1 sheet, but will need to individually cook each layer.
The Blistered Peppers Take:
Rainbow cookies are honestly one of my favorite desserts. I’m a junky for marzipan and almond paste flavors. Growing up, I’d beg my Mama to buy me those little fruit shaped marzipan candies. This past year, we went to Carbone for Christmas dinner and they ended the meal with a plate of cookies, including rainbow ones, so here we are giving it our best shot.
We’re going to be honest here, this was trial #1. So yes, these cookies look very homemade… but the flavor was on point!
Things we would do differently in round 2 (obviously, we will update this recipe as we continue to try it out):
Almond paste must be really tender and broken up, either with your fingers or by using a fork. Little pieces will turn into clumps as you mix the batter.
Flipping 3 layers of “cookie” on top of one another isn’t easy. Use an extra spatula or cutting board for additional support.
Don’t be afraid of the layers appearing undercooked. 10 minutes in the oven should be plenty, don’t leave them in a minute longer. If the layers are over baked, the cookies will come out crumblier.
Steps:
Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the 3 cookie sheets (9x13 inch). Grease the sheets with oil, spray, or butter and lay a piece of parchment paper on top, then oil the paper as well.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt until just combined. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or better yet, standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment combine the almond paste - broken up really well, so no clumps remain - with butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.
On low-medium speed, slowly add the flour and salt into the butter mixture until just combined. Move the batter into a separate bowl, you’re going to want to use your electric mixer for the next step.
Using the standing mixer, whisk the egg whites until peaks begin to form, approximately 1 minute.
The Great British Baking Show taught me to turn the bowl upside down. If the mixture doesn’t pour out, and the mixture seems stiff, you’re ready for the next step!
Fold the egg white mixture into the batter until just combined.
Separate the batter into thirds and place in 3 separate bowls.
This is easiest to do with a digital baking scale, but you can eyeball it if you don’t have a scale on hand.
Add red food coloring to 1 bowl of batter, add green coloring to a 2nd bowl, and leave the 3rd bowl alone (undyed… is that a word!?).
Dye needs will vary on whether you’re using liquid or gel food coloring, so add in 2 drop increments, mix, and see if you want to make the color a bit darker.
Once you have reached the desired shade, transfer each bowl of batter to their individual cookie sheets. You should have 3 cookie sheets. Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter as evenly as possible, then tap each pan on the counter to even out.
Place in oven for 10 minutes, rotating once half way through to ensure an even bake.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
In a small saucepan, heat the raspberry jam over low-medium heat until loose. To ensure the preserves are extremely smooth, strain the jam through a mesh sieve.
When the 3 layers have cooled, place the green layer on a cookie sheet and spread half of the preserves over the top. Next, add the undyed layer on top the green (it is probably easiest to flip it on top - take caution! - and remember to remove any remaining parchment paper). Spread the remaining preserves on top of the undyed layer. Finally, add the red layer on top and cover with parchment paper/saran wrap. Place a cookie sheet or pan a top the paper and weigh down with food cans. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Melt 1 cup of chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments. Once completely melted, spread the mixture atop the layered cake, using an offset or rubber spatula to spread evenly. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes in the fridge.
If you’d like only one chocolate layer: cool for only a few minutes, then use a fork to draw waves through the chocolate. Let cool 5-10 minutes and skip to Step 16.
Place a cutting board or cookie sheet atop of the chocolate layer, and flip so you now have the green layer on top. Repeat Step 14, melt the remaining chocolate and spread evenly over the green layer. As the chocolate begins to cool, use a fork to draw waves through the chocolate. Let cool 5-10 minutes.
When the top layer has cooled but is not completely set, begin to cut the cookies. First trim the edges. Then cut into 1-1.5 inch squares. If the chocolate is sticking to the knife, use warm water to rinse and dry the knife in between cuts.
Viola! Store the cookies in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When serving, allow the cookies to come to room temperature.
