Italian Rainbow Cookies: Better than the Bakery's!!!

These Italian Rainbow Cookies will brighten up any cookie platter. Layers of almond cake are sandwiched together with raspberry and apricot jam and then iced with a layer of chocolate. These cookies are so easy to make and taste way better than the ones sold in bakeries.
Printable Recipe: www.dimitrasdi...
Ingredients
1 pound almond paste
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
12 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
6 eggs at room temperature
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
red and green gel food coloring
apricot jam
raspberry jam
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Homemade Almond Paste:
2 cups 260 grams) blanched almond flour
1 cup confectioner's sugar
pinch of salt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
Line 3 quarter-sheet baking trays (9 by 13-inches) with parchment paper.
If using homemade almond paste, it can be made 2-3 days ahead and refrigerated.
To make the Almond Paste:
In a large bowl, combine all of the almond paste ingredients together and beat until combined. Set aside.
In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, almond extract, and almond paste. Beat on high speed until thick and fluffy.
Add the eggs and beat until fluffy.
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl and whisk them together. Add them in a few batches to the mixer and beat on low speed until combined.
Divide the batter equally into three bowls.
Add some red food coloring to one of the bowls and mix together until the color is even. Color the second bowl with green food coloring.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake until set and a toothpick that is inserted in the center comes out clean. About 12-15 minutes.
Let them cool completely.
Place a piece of parchment paper onto the back of a tray or on a cutting board. Transfer the green cookie layer onto the paper and spread apricot jam evenly over the top.
Place the white layer on top and remove the parchment paper from it. Spread raspberry jam on top and then place the pink layer on top. Remove the parchment from the pink layer.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Add the butter and whisk together until smooth. Spread the chocolate evenly over the top of the pink layer.
Refrigerate or freeze the cookie until the chocolate sets.
Cut into little rectangles.
Store the cookies in the refrigerator or the freezer.
Notes
Make-Ahead Instructions: The cookie layers can be prepared and layered with jam then, wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Glaze them with chocolate when ready to serve.
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Here are links to some of my favorite cooking tools. The links take you to Amazon where I'm proud to be an affiliate partner :)
My cutting board: amzn.to/2e2p8ED
Kitchen Aid Mixer: amzn.to/2dQXU0b
Food Processor: amzn.to/2eXcvZd
Microplane: amzn.to/2eL2vTo
Madeleine Pan: amzn.to/2dQU1sm
Cheesecake Pan: amzn.to/2eXaGeQ
Vitamix Blender: amzn.to/2eXcvbH
Nonstick pan: amzn.to/2eL804t
Cast iron pan: amzn.to/2dQYfjs
Pastry Bag: amzn.to/2e2v0xD
Half sheet baking pans: amzn.to/2fcv7cD
Thanks for watching! I'd love to see your recreations of these dishes so please share pics with me on social media :)
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and spread the word so that we can make the world more delicious!

[@aliciaseecharan]

I use to love these at Christmastime in NYC... Italian Petite Fours. Happy Holidays 🎄💕

[@DimitrasDishes]

Happy holidays!

[@djkhalidxs5237]

Dimitras i tried your Italian butter cookies it was very delicious melting in mouth unforgettable moments thank you for baking for us sister lover from Australia 🤤😍🥰🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤❤❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤🇦🇺❤

[@lilianavadacchino2196]

Love this recipe! Thank you for the freezer instructions too.

[@marlenet5115]

Thank you for this. I made my daughter a cake like this one year and she loved it so much. I undercooked the batter a bit but it tasted so good that she didn't care (neither did I lol). I never knew how to make almond paste, so now I will be making my own, thanks for the recipe!❤

[@lyndaalterio1027]

Hi Dimitra! I just wanted to let you know that the kit for making cookies, etc., can be bought at J.C.Penney! I was there yesterday and saw the kit will 5 different tips.

[@grandmadeb777]

What is " some" all-purpose flour? Can you please tell me how much all purpose flour you added in?

[@marykissel9273]

Wow! These look fantastic and ever so easy. I will be trying these...thank you!

[@wonderwomanx1268]

Looks devine... making these soon and my Family will flip out. Thanks for the easy tutorial.

[@user-if7hv1hl7e]

Oh my gosh! Beautiful! 😍🎄 Happy Holidays Dimitra! 💝

[@sarahramsel8298]

Made these and they were delicious! Ty😊

[@varshavora]

Make the tricolor without eggs! I’d really want to try them. ! 😊

[@robetheridge4008]

I made these, and they were incredible! Great video, and easy to follow! 10/10! Thank you! 😊🙏

[@DimitrasDishes]

Glad you like them!

[@gretroman8235]

You are the first person I have seen that shows how to make almond paste. Easy with the right ingredients and probably a lot better than a commercial product. Beautiful lesson on a dessert that I thought was too complicated for a home baker. I make my own jams and can think of lots of combinations between the layers. And freezer tips for small portions as needed.

[@DimitrasDishes]

Thank you so much! Enjoy them :)

[@ianscianablo8507]

Amazing! Made your recipe 4x! Always xcellent! Does it matter if I mix foamy egg whites with the rest of the batter or should I mixx the whole batter and gently fold the foamy egg whites at the end? Does it make any difference? Lately, I separately use the kitchen aid for all the egg whites separately and set that foamy egg whites aside. Then when I'm just finished mixing the home made almond paste and flour mixture-I then, lastly fold the foamy egg whites at the end. Any thoughts? Thank you!

[@mariavo5219]

Καλά Χριστούγεννα 🎄 can’t wait to make these 😋

[@AndreaRuth-cm9mo]

Do you think these could be made gluten free? I love them so much and i want to make them for Passover!

[@ianscianablo8507]

Beautiful presentation! Did you grease the pans or parchment papers?

[@phillipsmom6252]

Yummy 👍😀💜

[@rmb10]

Yum. I love these!

[@DimitrasDishes]

Enjoy them :)

[@jlazarus3261]

These look amazing. I do not have a tabletop stand mixer though. Can I use a hand mixer instead?

[@tammysoto3019]

Can you show how to make lace cookies (floretine)? Thanks

[@DimitrasDishes]

Yes! Florentines are so delicious! I'll share that recipe very soon :)

[@thedeena2745]

If you were going to use almond paste instead of the homemade , how much of the almond paste do you use in the mixture.?

[@lisany5254]

Hi, You would add the entire box which is is usually 8-7 oz. make sure you break up the paste in small pea size bits for easier mixing. (I’ve tried many versions of rainbow cookies, so I consider myself a semi-pro rainbow cookie baker)

[@ianscianablo8507]

Hi! Did you spray those quarter sheets before parchment paper placement? Thank you!

[@DimitrasDishes]

Just the sides of the pan and the parchment paper needs spraying :)

[@ianscianablo8507]

@@DimitrasDishes Thank you!

[@sarahmoore2644]

so how much flour did you say to add? and salt? Give all ingredients or none- bad video but they looked good

[@keyleenabreu1584]

it’s literally in the description

[@fchau6019]

My daughter has a severe nut allergy. What can I use as a substitute instead of almond flour? Thanks.

[@randwilliams5552]

I know this is comment is over a year old, but maybe this might help someone else. There's two components you want to get from the almond paste: the oils (fats for mosture) and almond flavor. The flavor can be easily remedied by using an almond flavor that's safe for your daughter. For the fat, this is easily remedied with butter. It's not a 1:1 same, but it's fairly close. It won't be as greesy, but it'll a decent substitute. You'll have to eyeball it. Mix with a normal cake mix (homemade) until you get the consistency you see in the video. So eggs, flour, butter, c.sugar, etc. Now for almond flavoring. McCormic's is actually safe. They extract the chemical flavor from apricot pits. Their factories, last I heard, are nut-free. Feel free to call customer support if you have more questions. Per 2015: "Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We appreciate your interest in our Pure Almond Extract and all of our extracts and welcome the opportunity to be of assistance to you. We are pleased to inform you that we do not use any peanuts or tree nuts in our extracts. The facilities that manufacture extracts ban tree nuts or peanuts so there is no risk of cross contamination. The almond extract is also safe - the oil of bitter almond is derived from apricot pits - not almonds."

[@fchau6019]

@@randwilliams5552 Thanks so much for your reply. Luckily it came across on my alerts so I was able to catch it. Much appreciated.

[@ginapywar8513]

HELP!!!, LOL. I don't see the amount of flour.

[@debrasparrow8239]

How much regular flour?

[@DimitrasDishes]

Check description for the recipe link :)

[@maryverde9828]

HOW MUCH ALMOND PASTE?

[@DimitrasDishes]

The exact measurements are on the blog post and also under the video in the description box below the video

[@angelaabbruzzese225]

Will the recipe work if I skip out the jam?

[@tankm4253]

why do they refer to this cake as a cookie?

[@casomai]

As an italian . In Italy the rainbow biscuits don't exist. Sorry for this, but really anyone tell this fact? Italoamerican, maybe. But not italian sure. Non è che amiamo molto mettere i coloranti artificiali nelle cose. Forse deriva dalla zuppa inglese emiliana, non so, ma ti assicuro che in Italia non esistono e io l' ho girata da Trento a Palermo.

[@DimitrasDishes]

Wow!! These are in every Italian bakery in New York. One of my favorites!!

[@elsaescobar9385]

This cookie was created in New York by an Italian immigrant to honor the Italian flag. There is nothing to do with rainbow stuff and the like. I prefer to call it "seven layer cookies" as it was called back in the days

[@CynLouWho]

That shaky glass bowl is making me nervous ....

[@malak.youssef5088]

👍😍🌹❤️🇲🇦

[@mys520ex]

Not better than a bakery. Bakeries put ganache on top and bottom. That's what makes them traditional 7 layer cookies.

[@Cccoast]

Yeah not better than here in the NE.

[@helpmereach500followerswit3]

Those are most certainly an acquired taste. I couldn’t handle them

[@mariaanderson4621]

You are such a blessing 😊 I currently live in California but I am from Brooklyn New York where you could get these cookies in any bakery and nobody made a bad batch… I’ve learned to make many different cookies such as fig cookies, pignoli cookies and others… I have always been intimidated to make rainbow cookies… But you make it look so easy and I am definitely going to try it !!! I’ll let you know how it comes out God bless you and your family enjoy your holidays😉🥰

[@DimitrasDishes]

You’re gonna love these!! Im from Ny as well and I’ll say that these are even better than the ones that they now sell at the bakeries. They’re moist and so flavorful. I hope that you enjoy them 😊

[@bklynjoe96]

Same, from Brooklyn NY and came to Cali because of the Marine Corps. Been in Cali for almost 20 years now and started going to little Italy in San Diego for these cookies but only a few spots have these cookies and at at times they are sold out. Finally said okay YT this and do it yourself. Did it with my daughter and we tried several videos but Dimitri... no lies, yours is our favorite and it's the very best I've ever had to include the bakeries in NY. I can't thank you enough for this video as it has allowed me to share the foods I grew up with, with my kids. Please do one on Zepoles, I tried a few from YT but it's not legit like back home. Thanks for all you do and much love and success to you.

[@marlenet5115]

I'm also from Brooklyn and live in California! I miss the pizza and Italian cookies! I've made these before but I'm gonna try your recipe, because it's much easier and they look delicious!

[@raymondrooney4086]

Hello Dimitra. I noticed in the video the recipe for the almond paste calls for 1/2 cup confectioners sugar while the printed recipe calls for 1 cup confectioners sugar. I'm going to go with the cup as I'm making them now, but jist wondering if you can clarify that for future reference. Hoping I chose correctly. :-). They look delicious.

[@marlenet5115]

I thought she said 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, but I'm using captions so not sure

[@jessicabianco391]

Thank you so much for the recipe! I tried it and they came out absolutely delicious! The initial day they tasted a little dry but the next day, they were very moist... the flavors come out really nicely when at room temperature.

[@ninaantonish3952]

Thank you so much for sharing your culinary wisdom with us!! Love all of your videos! This one is Amazing. Can't wait to try it! Stay safe and healthy! Merry Christmas! You're Beautiful! Love, Nina from NJ

[@DimitrasDishes]

Hope you enjoy them and Merry Christmas!

[@tanvav]

TY sweet Dimitroula mou! I'm definitely gonna make this especially the almond paste. I appreciate you helping me clean up my kitchen Stay safe! The egg yolks can be use to make pudding or ice cream. I wish you can do cannolis Not now. Stay safe

[@DimitrasDishes]

Happy Holidays, koukla!!

[@forzatony]

you forgot the second chocolate layer on the bottom...

[@marche49]

They look amazing! I think I can substitute allpurpose flour with Glutenfree flour! Thanks for posting this recipe 🤗

[@sarahramsel8298]

How much flour tho honey

[@greekxstitcher5379]

Kales giortes! Being Greek and Italian I prefer Greek sweets! X

[@DimitrasDishes]

Xronia Polla!!

[@zanepeters5484]

Oh no-Your recipe says 1 cup of Confectionary sugar, but you say on the video to use 1/2 cup of sugar,..I am so hoping that I did not waste 2 cups of Almond flour,..can you help me out with the correct amount? PLEEEEEEEEZE

[@ianscianablo8507]

Very important question! I should not wait for slight browning on the edges? Thank you! Happy New Year 2022!

[@lisawilson7318]

I have made these for years,usually freshly made before serving.Last year i froze them and thought they were a little mushy after thawing,any tips?

[@sarahramsel8298]

Came out awesome!! I added honey to make my almond paste!!

[@DimitrasDishes]

That sounds lovely! So glad you enjoyed them 😊

[@ianscianablo8507]

Do you grease the sheet pans before placing parchment paper in them? Thank you.

[@miriambelanger7292]

Hi Dimitra. Thanks for the recipe and demo. The word cookie means little cake.

[@62202ify]

I LOVE RAINBOW COOKIES, THANK YOU!!

[@jadakowers4727]

Kourabiedes recipe, please!

[@tuyabebe5860]

Is it ok if we don't want add jam?

[@reginabivona1282]

I LIKE IT!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!

[@mitchellart1]

Perfect! Thank you

[@ted1091]

These look awesome

[@Torbis101]

Can you tell me what brand/make of stand mixer that is that you use?

[@DimitrasDishes]

It's a Kitchen Aid. I have the link on my website :)

[@debbiegalluzzo3014]

Love your version of these great job. Going to make them just like this

[@DimitrasDishes]

We had a bakery for 10 years and this is the exact way we made the rainbow cookies. Enjoy!

[@HellasGD88]

Makin mine blue and white.

[@DimitrasDishes]

Haha! I don't see why not...lol! Enjoy :)