Classic Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe
I first made this traditional Italian rainbow cookies recipe about ten years ago, when I wanted something unique and eye catching to add to my Christmas cookie plates. Since then, these festive treats with a cake-like texture and a sweet almond flavor have been come a staple of my holiday baking routine.
Three reasons I love these Tri Colored Rainbow Cookies
- Seven layers of flavor!: Including three colorful layers of moist almond cake, two layers of fruity, tart jam, and two of rich chocolate coating. Your tastebuds will not be bored.
- Beautiful presentation: Whether you call them Venetian cookies, Italian flag cookies, tri-color cookies, 7 layer cookies, or Neopolitans, these colorful cookies are a feast for the eyes. They make a beautiful and unique addition to any cookie tray or dessert spread.
- Feeds a crowd: You can cut these treats into generously sized rectangles for a stand alone dessert, or cut many smaller pieces to add to a cookie table or gift box.
Top Tips for Making The "Perfetto" Italian Rainbow Cookie Recipe
- Mix well: Part of the batter/dough is mixed with an electric mixer, and part is folded in by hand. Make sure that all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated so that there are no inconsistencies or "butter pockets" in the final baked layers. It helps to stop and scrape the sides of your mixing bowl during the initial mixing process.
- Take your time: It helps to spread out the steps of this recipe over two days. Make and stack the layers on day one and then weigh them down overnight. Coat the layers with chocolate and cut them the next day.
- Use a sharp knife: Speaking of cutting...use a very sharp or a serrated knife to cut the cookies into even squares or rectangles. It also helps to dip the knife in hot water between cuts, so that you create neat layers.
Ingredients and Special Equipment
See the full recipe card at the bottom of this post for specific quantities.
Rainbow Cookie Key Ingredients
- Cooking spray or nonstick baking spray: For both the baking pans and parchment
- All purpose flour: Substitute a reputable gluten-free flour blend to make this gluten-free
- Almond paste: This recipe calls for 8 ounces almond paste, which can be found in tubes or cans in most grocery store baking aisles. In a pinch, marzipan may be substituted, but the result will be sweeter and less nutty, as marzipan incorporates extra sugar and fewer almonds.
- Sugar: The one cup sugar in this recipe is divided--two tablespoons are reserved to beat with the egg whites towards the end of the recipe.
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature
- Large eggs: Separated--the yolks and whites are incorporated into the batter at different times.
- Almond extract
- Red and green food coloring: I prefer gel-based food colors. They are more concentrated, so small quantities result a deeper color than liquid-based food colors.
- Apricot jam: Raspberry jam is often substituted for apricot jam.
- Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips: This will be melted, so you can also use chopped chocolate.
Special Equipment
- Three 9X13 baking pans: If you don't have three pans, you can bake the layers in batches.
- Stand mixer or an electric hand mixer with a large mixing bowl
- Offset spatula: Optional, but helpful for spreading the jam and chocolate. A butter knife makes a good alternative.
- Extra cookie sheet and 4-6 heavy cans: For weighing down the cake/cookie layers.
- Sharp knife: For cutting the finished recipe into neat, smaller pieces
Step by Step Photos and Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325℉. Spray three 9X13-inch baking pans with nonstick baking spray, and then line each pan with a piece of parchment paper. Spray the parchment.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, combine all but 2 tablespoon of the sugar, the almond paste, and 1 stick of the butter. Mix at medium speed until smooth.
3. Add the remaining 2 sticks of butter and continue to mix until smooth.
4. Add the egg yolks, milk, and almond extract and mix again until smooth.
5. Add the flour low speed and slowly mix until combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
6. In a separate medium bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the remaining 2 tablespoon sugar at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped egg whites into the flour mixture until you have a smooth batter.
7. Divide batter equally among 3 small bowls. Stir the red food coloring into the first bowl and stir the green food coloring into the second bowl. Leave the third small bowl of batter uncolored.
8. Transfer batter to three lined pans. Using an offset spatula or a knife, spread each bowl of cake batter into one of the prepared pans, forming an even, thin layer. Bake each layer until set, 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.
Assemble the Cookies
9. Once cooled, transfer the red layer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Spread half of the apricot jam in a thin layer, evenly on top of the white layer. Place the plain layer on top of the jam and spread it evenly with the remaining jam. Top the jam with the green cake layer.
10. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and top it with another sheet pan. Weigh down the layers with 4-6 heavy cans and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
11. Melt chocolate in your microwave or in a double boiler or a small saucepan over medium low heat.
12. Remove the cans and plastic wrap from the cake layers. Using an offset spatula or a knife, spread half of the melted chocolate evenly over the top of the red cake layer. Chill 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
13. Carefully flip the layers onto a cutting board or a work surface, discarding the parchment. Spread the remaining chocolate evenly on top of the green layer.
14. Chill until the chocolate is set, then trim the edges and cut into small squares.
FAQ and Troubleshooting your Italian Rainbow Cookies
Almond paste is typically found in the baking or specialty foods section of a grocery store. Look for it near the nuts section of your baking aisle or in the nut butters and spreads area. In some stores, almond paste might be grouped with international or specialty foods, especially if the store has a section dedicated to European ingredients.
The following factors could prevent egg whites from stiffening when beaten:
Residual Fat: Even a tiny amount of fat from yolks or grease on bowls can hinder the egg whites from stiffening, so ensure utensils and bowls are completely clean and free from any residue. Separate your eggs carefully, making sure no yolk is present.
Room Temperature: Cold eggs take longer to whip and might not reach stiff peaks. Allow the eggs to come to room temperature before beating..
Older Eggs: Fresh eggs tend to whip up better than older ones. The protein structure in older eggs might weaken, keeping the egg whites from stiffening.
If you plan to consume these Italian cookies within a few days, you can keep them at room temperature in an airtight container. Layer the cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper to prevent sticking. For longer-term storage, up to five days, it's best to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Italian rainbow cookies also freeze well. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to two months. Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature overnight.
Try some of my other Recipes That are inspired by international classics
- French Napoleon Pastry Recipe
- Mexican Chocolate Cake
- Panzanella Toscana
- Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Scones
Tried this recipe and loved it? Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or give it a review!
Classic Italian Rainbow Cookies
Equipment
- 3 9X13 baking pans
- 1 offset spatula (optional)
- 1 Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 8 oz can of almond paste (see Ingredients and Special Equipment section in post)
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs, separated
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon red food coloring (see Notes)
- ¼ teaspoon green food coloring
- ½ cup apricot jam
- 10 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325℉. Spray three 9X13-inch baking pans with nonstick baking spray, and line each pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, combine all but 2 tablespoon of the sugar, the almond paste, and 1 stick of the butter. Mix at medium speed until smooth.
- Add the remaining 2 sticks of butter and continue to mix until smooth.
- Add the egg yolks, milk, and almond extract and mix again until smooth.
- Add the flour and slowly mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the remaining 2 tablespoon sugar until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into the flour mixture until you have a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter equally among 3 small bowls. Stir the red food coloring into the first bowl and stir the green food coloring into the second bowl. Leave the third bowl of batter uncolored.
- Using an offset spatula or a knife, spread each bowl of batter into one of the prepared baking pans, forming an even, thin layer. Bake each layer until set, 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.
- Once cooled, transfer the red layer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the surface evenly with half of the apricot jam. Place the white layer on top of the jam and spread it evenly with the second half of the apricot jam. Top the jam with the green layer.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and top it with another sheet pan. Weigh down the layers with 4-6 heavy cans and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Melt the chocolate in your microwave or in a small saucepan over medium low heat.
- Remove the cans and plastic wrap from the cake layers. Using an offset spatula or a knife, spread half of the melted chocolate evenly over the top of the cake. Chill 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Carefully flip the layers onto a cutting board or a work surface, discarding the parchment. Spread the remaining chocolate in an even layer over the surface.
- Chill until the chocolate is set, then trim the edges and cut into small squares.
Notes
- Keep the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days. For longer-term storage, up to five days, it's best to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To freeze cookies, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to two months.
- For food coloring, I prefer to use gel based food colors as opposed to liquid. Liquid colors are not as concentrated, so you would need to use more, which tends to dilute the batter.Â
