ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIE

passed to me and shared with you!

INGREDIENTS:

7 oz almond paste

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

3/4 cups butter at room temperature

3 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour, sifted

1/4 tsp salt

Green food coloring enough to get to the color depth you like

Red food coloring enough to get to the color depth you like

1/2 Cup Apricot preserves (warm in microwave for about 30 seconds)

1/2 Cup Raspberry preserves (warm in microwave for about 30 seconds)

3 oz semi sweet chocolate

METHOD:

Grease 3 metal baking pans I used a small rectangular pan approximately 8 by 12 (I purchased these at the dollar store of all places they were the perfect small pan size that I needed and use only for these cookies). After greasing, line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper, smoothing the paper down onto the pan. Grease the sides of the pans. Put aside.

In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, Beat together on medium-high speed the Almond Paste, Sugar, Almond Extract and butter until well blended. Then add your room temperature eggs one at a time until blended. Then add your sifted flour and salt a little at a time.

Once the batter is complete separate equal parts into 3 separate bowls add red food coloring to one, the second one add green food coloring. Stir well until you get the color as deep as you would like it. Place your batters in the separate pans the layers will only be about a 1/4 inch thick or so. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean about 10 to 15 mins at 325F. 

Once cooled you will start with either the green or red cake and layer the apricot preserves, then your yellow cake then a layer of the Raspberry preserves. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator over night with weight on it.  I used a marble piece that I use to place hot items on the table. Once that is done then you will coat one side with chocolate when that sets in the refrigerator flip it and do the same to other side with the chocolate and add some sprinkles if you would like.

ENJOY YOUR ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIE