Italian-American Rainbow Cookies Recipe

Gather your Italian-American rainbow cookie ingredients

For this recipe, you will need unsalted butter (make sure it's softened before you start) and large eggs at room temperature. You will also need almond paste, which you can find in the baking aisle of the supermarket (don't confuse almond paste with marzipan). The other ingredients are sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, red and green food coloring, apricot and raspberry jam, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Step 2: Prepare the pans

Lightly butter 3 (9 x 13-inch) quarter-sheet pans and then place parchment paper in the pans and butter the paper.

Step 3: Start whipping the egg whites

Separate the eggs and place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium until frothy.

Step 4: Finish whipping the egg whites

Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form.

Step 5: Transfer the egg whites to a bowl

Gently transfer the egg whites to a separate bowl.

Step 6: Add the almond paste to the mixer bowl

Place the almond paste and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium until crumbly.

Step 7: Add the butter

Add the butter and beat until fluffy.

Step 8: Add the egg yolks

Add the egg yolks and beat until smooth.

Step 9: Add the flour

Gradually add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.

Step 10: Fold in the egg whites

Fold half of the egg whites into the batter, and then gently fold in the other half of the whites until just combined.

Step 11: Divide the batter

Divide the batter into three evenly-sized pieces. Weigh the pieces on a kitchen scale if you can to ensure they are the same size. Place 2 of the pieces in separate bowls and set the third piece aside.

Step 12: Color the batter

Add red food coloring to the batter in one of the bowls a little at a time while stirring until it turns a light red color. Repeat with the green food coloring and the other bowl of batter to color it light green.

Step 13: Spread the batter in the pans

Transfer the red, green, and plain batter each into one of the prepared pans, spreading the batter with a spatula to reach all sides of the pan and leveling the tops.

Step 14: Bake the cakes

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cakes are barely golden around the edges.

Step 15: Let the cakes cool

Place the pans on wire racks and let them cool completely.

Step 16: Invert the green cake

Once cool, carefully invert the green cake onto a new piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and place it in a clean quarter sheet pan.

Step 17: Spread a jam layer

Spread half the jam evenly in a thin layer over the green cake.

Step 18: Prepare the white cake layer

Invert the white cake on top of the green cake and spread the other half of the jam on top.

Step 19: Prepare the red cake layer

Invert the red cake on top of the white cake and press the top with your hands to flatten it and help the jam adhere.

Step 20: Weigh down the cake and chill

Place another piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on top of the red cake, followed by another clean quarter sheet pan. Weigh down the top pan with something heavy, like cans or cookbooks. Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Step 21: Melt some of the chocolate

Melt ⅓ of the chocolate in a double boiler.

Step 22: Remove the cake from the refrigerator

Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator and uncover it. Trim the 4 outer edges of the cake if they are not even.

Step 23: Spread chocolate on the bottom of the cake

Pour the chocolate on the top of the cake and spread it into a thin layer with an offset spatula. Refrigerate, uncovered, until the chocolate is fully hardened, about 30 minutes.

Step 24: Melt the remaining chocolate

Melt the remaining chocolate in a double boiler.

Step 25: Invert the cake

Carefully invert the cake onto a clean sheet of parchment paper placed on a large cutting board. The green side should now be facing up.

Step 26: Spread chocolate on the top and sides of the cake

Pour the remaining chocolate over the top of the cake and carefully spread it over the top and the sides with a spatula. Return to the refrigerator to let the chocolate harden again.

Step 27: Decorate the cake

After about 5-10 minutes, before the chocolate is fully set, remove the cake and scrape the tines of a fork over the top of the chocolate in a wavy pattern to decorate it. Return to the refrigerator until the chocolate is fully hardened.

Step 28: Cut the cookies

Score the top chocolate layer into 6 widthwise strips and 9 lengthwise strips for 54 cookies that are each about 1x2 inches. Cut slices with a serrated knife along the marks all the way down. Wipe the knife in between cuts to keep the slices clean.

Step 29: Serve the Italian-American rainbow cookies