Italian Rainbow Cookies

(from BearNakedBaker’s recipe box)

Source: BNB

Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves 30 people

Categories: Bars/Brownies

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces almond paste
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 + 1/2 sticks (1 + 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened, cut into pieces
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all­-purpose flour, sifted (measure first)
  • 1 teaspoon red food coloring, gel or paste preferred
  • 1 teaspoon green food coloring, gel or paste preferred
  • 2 (15­ oz. jars) smooth apricot or raspberry jam
  • 1 pound semi­-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon melted shortening

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 15­ by ­10­ inch rimmed sheet pans and

  2. line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.

  3. Mix the almond paste and all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar in an electric mixer fitted with the

  4. paddle attachment on medium speed until you have fine crumbles. On low speed add the butter,

  5. a little at a time and mix until well combined.

  6. On low speed add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until smooth. Beat in salt and flour on

  7. low speed until just combined.

  8. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until foamy while slowly adding the remaining 2

  9. tablespoons sugar, continue beating on medium speed until stiff peaks form. When the beater is

  10. lifted the whites should stay stuck to it.

  11. Fold about a third of the egg whites into the batter to start then gently fold in the remaining egg

  12. whites.

  13. Divide the batter evenly into three bowls. Leave one bowl plain. Add red food coloring to the

  14. second stirring to make a deep ­salmon color. Add green food coloring to the last bowl, stirring to

  15. make a medium ­green color.

  16. Spread batter into each of the prepared pans with an offset spatula as evenly as you can ­ it will

  17. be very thin. Bake, rotating pans to opposite racks, until cakes are cooked through and just

  18. beginning to brown around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cakes

  19. cool completely on wire racks.

  20. Put the green cake on a large cutting board and spread one jar of jam evenly over the cake

  21. almost to the edges. Top with the plain layer. Spread the remaining jar of jam over the plain

  22. layer almost to the edges. Top with the red layer.

  23. Top the red layer with a piece of parchment then wrap the entire cake in plastic. Top with

  24. another pan, weighted with cans. Chill in a cool place or in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or

  25. overnight.

  26. Unwrap the cake. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until smooth. Stir in the shortening.
  27. Pour the chocolate over the top the cake and spread it evenly from edge to edge with an offset

  28. spatula. Allow the chocolate to set in a cool place .

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