Purple and Pink Rainbow Cookies

For the last two years for Christmas I have made Italian rainbow cookies using a Gourmet recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen. They are one of my favorite cookies, and homemade ones, in my opinion, are way better than the ones you get at a bakery. They are way more moist and awesome, and they keep really well in my freezer so that I can have a little rainbow cookie snack whenever I want.


One of my good friends from college, Celia, got married down in North Carolina last month, and a week before the wedding she asked me if I was going to be bringing some tasty baked goods, like maybe those rainbow cookies I make. I hadn't been planning on bringing anything, since I was having a hard enough time trying to figure out what to wear and how to pack three dresses and five pairs of shoes in my carry-on bag. But at around 10pm two days before I was heading down there, I decided that I was going to make these cookies, and that I was going to make them purple since that was her wedding color.


Since I was making these in a shorter period of time than I normally do, I bought 3 disposable rectangular cake pans at the grocery store so that I could bake all three layers at the same time. Normally I bake each layer separately and have to wait for the pan to cool in between layers. I also bought neon food colors which had purple and pink so I could make the purple and pink layers easily.


I kept these in the freezer overnight before I left, and they survived sitting in my suitcase all day, in a plane, in the trunk of a car, in 80 degree weather, until I got to my hotel and stored them safely in the refrigerator until the rehearsal dinner that night. And they were still yummy. So were the leftovers in my freezer when I got back to Brooklyn.


Italian Rainbow Cookies (or Seven-Layer Cookies)
recipe from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen

4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 8 oz can almond paste
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
25 drops red food coloring (or purple)
25 drops green food coloring (or pink)
1 12 oz jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350ºF and place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Butter a 13x9 inch baking pan and line bottom with wax paper, leaving an overhang on 2 ends, then butter the paper. (Or if you want to bake them all at once, prepare 3 disposable baking pans the same way.)

Beat the egg whites on medium high speed in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, just until they hold stiff peaks. Add 1/4 of the sugar gradually, increasing speed to high until the whites are stiff and glossy. Place mixture in a another bowl gently and set aside.

Beat the almond paste and the rest of the sugar (3/4 cup) using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat for another 3 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and almond extract and beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined.

Gently, fold half of the egg white mixture into the almond mixture, then fold in the remaining egg whites until thoroughly combined.

Divide your batter evenly into 3 bowls. Stir red food coloring into one bowl, the green into another, and leave the third bowl plain. Set the white batter aside and cover the green batter and chill. Pour the red batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.

Bake red layer 8 to 10 minutes, until just set. It is important to undercook. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Wipe out your pan, and prepare as earlier (butter, wax paper, butter). Bake the white layer the same as the red layer. Bring your green batter to room temperature as the white layer is baking. Repeat the same process with the green batter.

When all three layers are cool, line a large baking sheet with wax paper. Carefully invert the green layer onto the baking sheet, and remove the wax paper from the layer. Spread the green layer with half of the apricot preserves. Invert the white layer on top of the green layer and remove the wax paper. Spread with the rest of the preserves. Invert the red layer on top and remove the wax paper.

Cover the three layers with plastic wrap and place another baking sheet on top to weigh it all down. Chill for 8 hours.

When it's chilled, remove the weight and plastic wrap, and let it warm to room temperature. Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler or in a metal or glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth and fully melted. Remove from the pan from the heat, but keep over the water.

Spread half of the chocolate in a thin layer on top of the cake. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, or until it's hardened. Place a piece of wax paper on top of the chocolate covered cake, and invert onto another baking sheet. Remove the wax paper and spread with the rest of the chocolate. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Trim the edges, then cut lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut each strip into 3/4 inch wide cookies.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.