| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 5 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 32 cookies |
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the pans
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 ounces almond paste, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon green liquid food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon red liquid food coloring
- 3 tablespoons apricot or raspberry jam
- 4 ounces dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-by-4-inch loaf pans and line them with parchment paper that comes at least 2 inches up the long sides of the pan. If you don’t have 3 loaf pans, you can bake the layers in batches.
- In a large bowl or in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running on medium, gradually add 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Increase the speed to medium high and beat to stiff peaks. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, almond paste, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon juice and almond extract, then reduce the speed to medium low and gradually add the flour. Mix to combine. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the whites.
- Transfer one-third of the mixture to one of the loaf pans and use a small offset spatula to spread it out evenly. Transfer another third of the mixture to a separate bowl and fold in the green food coloring. Fold the red food coloring into the remaining third. Transfer these into the remaining 2 loaf pans, spreading them out evenly.
- Bake until the tops are just set and no longer shiny; begin checking for doneness at 12 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then lift them out and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Stack up the loaves (from bottom to top: green, white, red) with 1 1/2 tablespoons jam between the layers. Wrap the loaf firmly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or by microwaving it in 30-seconds increments, stirring after each. Remove it from the heat and stir continuously until it is no longer hot. Spread it over the top and sides of the cookie loaf and refrigerate to firm up for about 15 minutes. Cut into 1-inch squares.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 32 servings |
| Calories | 146 |
| Total Fat | 10 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 33 mg |
| Sodium | 39 mg |
Reviews
These are not traditional Italian rainbow cookies. I’m looking for a recipe to make the first time for my native NY-er husband. I like Mollys show, and these are probably tasty, however I’m looking to make the real deal, baking sheets, weighting, etc.
Yum! Love these cookies! Time consuming but worth it.
For those trying to recreate the cookies she made on the show, look up the recipe for “Italian rainbow cookie cake” on her personal website (My Name is Yeh). That one has the right proportions. The recipe here only makes enough batter to fill loaf pans, which is not what I wanted. If you are going to use this recipe, I recommend adding more jam between the layers. Otherwise it’s on the dry side.
Great recipe! Very easy to follow. Thanks! Can they be frozen?
Wonderful recipe turned out wonderful
Absolutely delicious! I’ve tried other rainbow cookie recipes in the past and this is by far the tastiest and easiest to put together!
Will baking sheets work? I watched a different baking show and they used baking sheets. I’m not sure what should I use?
to those wondering about the pan size — Molly appears to have made a double recipe (based on a comparison of proportions in the online recipe and the TV episode) and, therefore, used 8×8 pans instead of 8×4 pans.
I really want to try making these cookies. I just wish they would tell us the correct pans that she used. They were not loaf pans. They were either 8×8 or 9×9 on the show when she made them. I’m guessing 9×9.
Agreed. Definitely a square baking pan. The cakes werr