These Italian Rainbow Cookies are my favorite cookie on earth. They are fondly known as 7 layer cookies in my household. I know it looks like 3 layers, but there are actually 7 if you look closely.
Growing up in NY, these Italian Cookies were served over the holidays and whenever guests came over.
I find that is typical for people to bring wine when they come over these days, but when I was a kid, the only hostess gift I ever saw was a white pastry box tied closed with white and red twine. Those little boxes always make me smile.
For years, the only time that I ever ate these 7 layer cookies is when I visited NY. I am happy to say that I get to eat them more often now. I now live in an area with the lots of NY transplants (Boca Raton).
This means the NY food is baked to cater to the local New Yorker transplants. Now, I can find Italian Rainbow Cookies called Rainbow Cookies in Publix, Joseph’s Italian Market, and Way Beyond Bagel all pretty close to my house. Also, I can bake them anytime I want with this recipe.
Did you know that Italian Rainbow Cookies aren’t really rainbow? They are actually supposed to look like the the Italian Flag.
The Yellow color is supposed to represent white. Obviously, you can make them whatever colors you want. My daughter like pink and purple so sometimes we do that and other times we make an ombre’ gradient.
Italian Rainbow Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
5 eggs – divided
1 cup sugar
1 package almond paste (7oz)
2 sticks softened butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
Apricot jam or your favorite flavor
5 cups chocolate chips
Red and green food coloring
TOOLS & SUPPLIES
Baking Sheet
Stand Mixer
Food Coloring
The Stand Mixer is our ultimate kitchen tool and equipment buying guide.
Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 eggs divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 8 oz almond paste
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 Pinch salt
- 1/2 cup Apricot jam or your favorite flavor
- 5 cups chocolate chips
- Red and green food coloring
Instructions
- Whisk together egg whites in a stand mixer until you have fluffy peaks, then set aside.
- Beat together sugar, almond paste, and butter for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add egg yolks, flour, and salt a little at a time until combined.
- Fold in egg whites gently.
- Divide batter into 3 bowls, add red food coloring to one, and green to another until you have your desired shade.
- Choose a batter, and pour into foil-lined and greased 8×11 inch pan. Spread to level.
- Bake 10 minutes, then take out and repeat with green and white batters and cool completely.
- Pop out green layer, and set on a fresh sheet of foil or parchment. Spread with ¼ cup apricot jam.
- Put the white layer on top and cover with ¼ cup jam, then finish with the red layer on top.
- Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.
- Once your cake is set, melt chocolate. Pour half on top and let harden completely.
- Cover cake with parchment, turn it upside down, and pour the rest on top of the other side.
- Cut into small strips, and serve.
Do you want to see more Italian cookie recipes from me? What are you interested in? Leave in the comments below.
These look fantastic, and I love the memories associated with them. I am like that with shortbread – we always made it to take to friends and family when we visited after New Year.
So pretty with the layering! I made some layered cookies last year and seeing these makes me wish I made some again!
Such a classic! I need to add these beauties to my baking list!!
Clearly I’ve been missing out. I’ve never seen or had these, and need to make up for that huge gap in my food experiences. I would love to try them – they look beautiful!
I have been making this every year at Christmas for over 25 years, we call them Rainbow Logs, my family’s favorite !!
Im guessing the oven temperature is 350F? I cant seem to find it anywhere in the recipe.
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who was conducting
a little homework on this. And he actually bought me dinner due to
the fact that I discovered it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this….
Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending
the time to discuss this subject here on your blog.