I’m sure you’ve seen Italian rainbow cookies before, especially if you live in New York; they’re made up of three layers of tricolored almond flavored sponge cake (meant to look like the Italian flag) sandwiched with jam and covered in chocolate.
Rainbow cookies were a staple of my childhood. They were always on those platters of Italian cookies, the ones that we had with coffee on Christmas. You can find them at almost any bakery in NYC (both the Italian and the Jewish ones!) and they are one of my mom’s all-time favorite cookies. But I have a confession to make: I’m not the biggest fan of them. But rainbow cookies are my boyfriend’s absolute favorite, so every Valentine’s Day I make a batch for him. And I have to say, with no disrespect to those NYC bakeries, these homemade cookies are waaaaayyy better than the ones they make. Not only do I actually like them, I love them.
But making them is no small feat. There are egg whites to whip and yolks to cream; three different sponges to dye, bake and cool; jam to heat, strain and spread; and an overnight chill in the fridge followed by a luxurious chocolate bath. All due credit to the bakeries, rainbow cookies are time consuming and I totally understand why they’re usually the most expensive cookie in the store. But that’s also what makes them special, and the perfect gift for any holiday.
A QUICK HISTORY OF THE RAINBOW COOKIE
While thought to be created as an homage to the red-white-and-green Italian flag, these cookies aren’t actually Italian (from Italy). Much like spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmesan, they have roots in northeast Italian American communities at the turn of the 20th century. Over the years, these cookies have also become a huge part of Jewish culture here in New York, due to the fact that Eastern European Jews were taking refuge in those very same communities at the same time. You often see rainbow cookies at Jewish delis or kosher bakeries, and they can easily be adapted to be pareve (meaning they contain neither dairy nor meat and can be kosher at any meal) by substituting the butter for margarine.
Rainbow cookies, like many Italian American cookies, get most of their flavor from almonds. This recipe had a double punch of them: both almond paste and almond extract. Raspberry or apricot jam is traditionally used between the layers for a tart balance to all the sweetness. You can use either, but I used both for extra flavor. The jam is the perfect acidic complement to the sweet rich and buttery sponges. And these wouldn’t be rainbow cookies without a layer of dark chocolate on top, the perfect slightly bitter offset to the sweetness of the cookie. And even if the ones from the bakery aren’t my go-to, there homemade Italian rainbow cookies are currently one of my favorite deserts.
Italian Rainbow Cookies
Equipment
- 1-3 9×13 baking sheet pan (cookie sheet)
Ingredients
- 8 oz almond paste
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar + 2 tbsp
- 4 eggs, seperated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- red and green food coloring, around 20 drops of each
- 1 1/2 cup raspberry or apricot jam, or half and half
- 12 oz dark chocolate, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Prep baking pan (or pans) by greasing pan, spreading with parchment paper, and greasing paper.
- Make the batter; combine almond paste, almond extract and ¾ cup of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium until crumbly, 3-5 minutes. Beat in butter a few pieces at a time until combined. Beat in egg yolks one at a time until smooth and creamy, 3 minutes.
- Mix flour and salt. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium speed, add flour to mixing bowl ⅓ at a time until well combined.
- In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites on medium high speed, adding 2 tablespoons of sugar slowly, until stiff peaks form, 10 minutes. Carefully fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the batter. Once fully incorporated, fold in the rest of the egg whites.
- Divide the batter into 3 equal bowls (I used a kitchen scale for this). Leave one portion uncolored. Add red food coloring to one bowl until desired shade of red is reached (around 20 drops). Do the same with the green food coloring in the third bowl.
- Bake the layers. Using an offset spatula, spread the green batter on the baking sheet, being sure to reach all the edges and get it as evenly spread as possible. If using 3 baking pans, repeat this process with the other two batches and bake together, rotating pans halfway through baking. If only using one pan, bake each layer, remove from pan and repeat process with a new sheet of parchment in the pan. Bake all layers until just firm and starting to brown around the edges, 9-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
- Assemble the layers. Heat the jam over low heat until just warm, 3-4 minutes. Strain through sieve to remove seeds or bits of fruit. Carefully transfer green sponge cake back to the baking pan, using a spatula if needed to avoid breakage. Spread half the jam evenly over top of the green layer. Flip white layer onto cutting board and remove parchment, then carefully transfer to top of green layer and spread evenly with remaining jam. Invert red layer on top of the white (so the flat bottom will be on top).
- Wrap with plastic wrap and top with one of the other baking pans or a cutting board. Place several cans or heavy books on top to evenly weigh down layers. Refrigerate overnight.
- Remove plastic wrap and transfer to a wire rack over a baking sheet or a piece of parchment. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Pour melted chocolate over the whole large cookie and spread evenly. If you want, wait 15 minutes for chocolate to partially set and use a fork make a wave design on top. Put in the refrigerator and chill 30 minutes until chocolate is just set. Slice into even rectangles or squares. Keep cookies refrigerated.
Please save us a cookie to try on Monday!
There is no listing of how much flour? Unless I am blind.
You’re totally right! I just updated it! So sorry about that!