Italian Rainbow Cookies

Before you start

Rainbow cookies, sometimes called tricolor or seven-layer cookies, are a staple of Italian American bakeries. They are not really cookies at all: they are thin sheets of almond paste sponge, tinted to echo the Italian flag, stacked with apricot or raspberry jam and sealed top and bottom with dark chocolate, then cut into small bars.

The work is spread over two days, but no single step is hard. Divide the batter by weight so the layers match, bake them just until set so they stay moist, and press the stack overnight under weight. Pressing glues the layers together and gives the clean, dense stripes that make these look professional. Strain the jam so seeds and fruit pieces do not create lumps between layers.

Ingredients

• Almond layers225 g (8 oz) almond paste — not marzipan; broken into small pieces
• 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter — softened
• 4 large eggs — separated, room temperature
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 125 g (1 cup, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• as needed red and green gel food coloring
• Filling240 g (¾ cup) apricot or seedless raspberry jam — warmed and strained
• Coating225 g semisweet or bittersweet chocolate — chopped
• 2 tsp neutral oil

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease the pans, line them with parchment overhanging the long sides, and grease the parchment.
2. Beat the almond paste and sugar on medium speed until the paste breaks into fine crumbs, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy with no paste lumps. Beat in the yolks and almond extract.
3. Mix in the flour and salt on low just until combined. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold them into the batter in two additions.
4. Weigh the batter and divide it equally into three bowls, about 325 g each. Tint one bowl red and one green with gel coloring, leaving the third plain. Fold gently so you do not deflate the whites.
5. Spread each portion thinly and evenly to the corners of its pan with an offset spatula. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the layers are set and spring back but have not browned at the edges.
6. Cool each layer in its pan for 5 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment onto a rack and cool completely.
7. Flip the green layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and peel off its paper. Spread with half the jam. Top with the plain layer, peel, spread with the remaining jam, and finish with the red layer, top side up.
8. Cover with plastic wrap, set a second baking sheet or board on top and weight it evenly with cans. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
9. Melt the chocolate with the oil. Spread half over the red layer and chill for 30 minutes until firm. Flip the stack onto clean parchment, spread the rest of the chocolate over the green side and chill another 30 minutes.
10. Trim the edges with a serrated knife warmed in hot water and wiped dry. Cut into strips 2.5 cm (1 in) wide, then crosswise into pieces about 4 cm (1½ in) long, rewarming and wiping the knife between cuts.

Tips for success

• Drag a fork through the half-set chocolate for the bakery wavy pattern, then chill it fully before flipping.
• Gel coloring tints without thinning the batter; liquid coloring needs much more and can make the layers wet.
• Let the cut cookies sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving so the chocolate does not crack and the sponge softens.

Substitutions

Almond paste

Marzipan is sweeter and finer; reduce the sugar to 150 g. Layers will be a little denser.

Apricot jam

Seedless raspberry is the other classic. Either way, strain it; whole-fruit preserves keep the layers from bonding.

Food coloring

Leave the layers untinted for a plain almond version, or use beet powder and matcha for muted natural colors that taste faintly of each.

Troubleshooting

Layers slide apart when cut

The stack was not pressed long enough or the jam was too thick to spread thinly. Press overnight and warm the jam so it spreads in a thin even film.

Layers are dry and crumbly

They were overbaked or spread too thin in places. Pull them as soon as they spring back and spread the batter evenly into the corners.

Chocolate cracks into shards when cutting

It was too cold and thick. Let the stack sit for 10 minutes before cutting, use a warm knife, and keep the oil in the chocolate.

Storage

Refrigerate the cut cookies in an airtight container, layered with parchment, for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw in the refrigerator. Serve slightly cool or at room temperature.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw batter, which contains raw egg and flour. Contains tree nuts (almond), egg, milk and wheat. Check the chocolate label for milk if serving someone with a dairy allergy.