The colors may have been meant to represent the Italian flag, but their palette is just right for Christmastime. To make sure they’re vibrant, purchase gel food colorings from a kitchen or craft store — the liquid drops from the supermarket won’t be able to produce the deep red and green this cookie requires.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 4 dozen cookies |
Ingredients
- 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 pound (two 8-ounce cans) almond paste
- 8 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Red and green gel food coloring
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam
- 1/3 cup apricot jam
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or shortening
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line three 13-by-9-inch baking pans with either parchment paper or greased aluminum foil.
- In a food processor, pulse together the butter, confectioners’ sugar and almond paste until pale yellow and fluffy. Continue to pulse while adding the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract. Add the flour and process until a smooth dough forms, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides and corners of the bowl.
- Remove the dough and divide into 3 even pieces. Place one piece back into the processor with a dab of red gel food coloring, and pulse until combined. Repeat with another piece and a dab of green food coloring.
- Spread the red, green and plain doughs in the prepared baking pans, and bake until light and springy to the touch, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely in their pans, about 1 hour.
- Remove the cookie layers from their pans, reserving 1 pan to use as a mold. Place the apricot and raspberry jams in separate bowls or mugs and microwave until loose, about 1 minute. In another bowl, toss the chocolate chips with the corn syrup and oil and microwave in 30-second spurts, stirring with a fork in between, until a shiny glaze is formed.
- Place the green layer in the pan, then spread a thin layer of raspberry jam over it. Next, add the white layer, then repeat the process with the apricot jam. Top with the red layer, then spread the chocolate glaze across the top. Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens, then wrap in plastic and allow to set for another hour, refrigerated.
- Place a cutting board on top of the pan, invert it, and unmold the cookies. Using a sharp knife, cut the cookies lengthwise into 4 long pieces, then cut across in 1/2-inch intervals. These keep, well-wrapped at room temperature, 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 48 servings |
| Calories | 202 |
| Total Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 20 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 52 mg |
| Sodium | 19 mg |
Reviews
Delicious! First attempt and it turned out great!
Do not like this recipe