Rainbow cookies, also known as seven-layer cookies, are a classic Italian-American cookie that is sure to impress your friends and family. They are made with seven layers of different colored dough, which are then stacked and baked together. The result is a colorful and delicious cookie that is perfect for any occasion. In this article, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to make rainbow cookies, as well as some tips and tricks to help you achieve the perfect cookie.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
RAINBOW LAYERED COOKIES
Balanced beautifully in the sweet spot between cake and cookie, these sensational slices will be the centerpiece of your cookie tray.-Sherry Thompson, Seneca, South Carolina
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 55m
Yield 12 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Place the hazelnuts in a food processor; cover and process until ground. Add the confectioners' sugar and egg white; cover and process until blended., In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in hazelnut mixture, then butter. Beat in rum extract. Combine flour and salt; add to egg mixture., Divide batter into thirds. Stir red food coloring into one portion of batter; stir green food coloring into another portion. Leave remaining batter plain. Spread one portion into each of three well-greased 11x7-in. baking dishes., Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges begin to brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Place red layer on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet; spread with strawberry jam. Top with plain layer; spread with apricot preserves. Add green layer; press down gently., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Spread half over green layer. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set. Turn over; spread remaining chocolate over red layer. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set., With a sharp knife, trim edges. Cut rectangle lengthwise into fourths. Cut each portion into 1/4-in. slices.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 37 calories, Fat 2g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 9mg cholesterol, Sodium 20mg sodium, Carbohydrate 4g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 0 protein.
RAINBOW COOKIES
Provided by Food Network
Time 5h25m
Yield 48 pieces
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- You'll need three 9-by-12-inch jelly roll pans or rimmed baking sheets to make these layered cookies.
- Prep the pans: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 9-by-12-inch jelly roll pans or rimmed baking sheets and line with parchment paper.
- Make the batter: Combine the almond paste and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is in fine crumbles. Beat in 2 1/2 sticks butter, a few pieces at a time, until well combined. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until smooth.
- Sift 2 cups flour onto a sheet of parchment and sprinkle the salt on top; add to the mixer bowl and beat until just combined.
- In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy; while whisking, slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until firm peaks form (or use a hand mixer). Fold about one-third of the egg white mixture into the batter with a rubber spatula, then gently fold in the rest. The batter should be fluffy.
- Color the batter: Divide the batter evenly among 3 bowls. Stir enough red food coloring into 1 bowl to make a deep salmon color. Stir enough green food coloring into another bowl to make a medium green color. Leave the third bowl uncolored.
- Bake the layers: Transfer the batter to the prepared pans (one pan for each color). Dip an offset spatula in water and spread the batter to the edge of each pan, smoothing the tops. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until the cakes are cooked through and just beginning to brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely in the pans on wire racks.
- Assemble the layers: Spread half of the jam evenly over the green cake layer almost all the way to the edges. Unmold the plain cake layer by inverting it onto another pan or cutting board; peel off the parchment.
- Carefully slide the plain layer onto the green layer (use a wide offset spatula to help you, if necessary). Spread the remaining jam on top of the plain layer. Unmold the red cake layer and slide it onto the plain layer.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and top with one of the empty pans; place several heavy cans on top to weigh down the layers. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Unmold the cake: Remove the cans and plastic wrap. Place a cutting board on top of the cake and flip to unmold it onto the cutting board. Remove the parchment from the top of the green layer.
- Trim the cake: Trim the sides with a knife to make straight edges. Spray a wire rack with cooking spray; set the rack over a baking sheet. Carefully slide the cake onto the rack, using a wide offset spatula to help you, if necessary.
- Cover in chocolate: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; pour over the cake. Dip an offset spatula in the hot water and smooth the top and sides. Let set slightly. Scrape wavy lines into the chocolate with a fork; let cool a few more minutes until the chocolate is mostly set but still slightly tacky.
- Cut into pieces: Slide the cake back onto the cutting board. Slice crosswise into 6 strips, then cut each strip into 8 rectangular pieces. For clean edges, dip the knife in warm water and wipe it with a cloth between cuts. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- If the lines in the chocolate don't hold their shape, let the chocolate set a little longer and try again.
RAINBOW COOKIES
Moist, mellow, and full of almond flavor.
Provided by Penney
Categories Desserts Cookies Bar Cookie Recipes
Time 10h30m
Yield 96
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line three 9x13 inch baking pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, break apart almond paste with a fork, and cream together with butter, sugar, and egg yolks. When mixture is fluffy and smooth, stir in flour to form a dough. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into the dough. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Mix one portion with red food coloring, and one with green food coloring. Spread each portion into one of the prepared baking pans.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Carefully remove from pan and parchment paper, and cool completely on wire racks.
- Place green layer onto a piece of plastic wrap large enough to wrap all three layers. Spread green layer with raspberry jam, and top with uncolored layer. Spread with apricot jam, and top with pink layer. Transfer layers to a baking sheet, and enclose with plastic wrap. Place a heavy pan or cutting board on top of wrapped layers to compress. Chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.
- Remove plastic wrap. Top with melted chocolate chips, and refrigerate 1 hour, or until chocolate is firm. Slice into small squares to serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 60.9 calories, Carbohydrate 7.4 g, Cholesterol 12.8 mg, Fat 3.3 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 0.8 g, SaturatedFat 1.7 g, Sodium 17.3 mg, Sugar 4 g
ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIES
My family has made these classic Italian cookies for generations, and this homemade version is so much better than the bakery version. They are always a special treat during the holidays or any time of year!-Cindy Casazza, Hopewell, New Jersey
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 45m
Yield about 11 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar 2-3 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add almond paste; mix well. Gradually add flour, butter, salt and extract., Divide batter into thirds. Tint one portion red and one portion green; leave remaining portion plain. Spread one portion into each of three well-greased 11x7-in. baking dishes., Bake 7-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and edges begins to brown. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Place red layer on waxed paper; spread with 2 tablespoons jam. Top with plain layer and remaining jam. Add green layer; press down gently. , For glaze, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Spread half over green layer. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. Turn over; spread remaining glaze over red layer. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. , With a sharp knife, trim edges. Cut rectangle lengthwise into fourths. Cut each portion into 1/4-in. slices.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 35 calories, Fat 2g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 10mg cholesterol, Sodium 21mg sodium, Carbohydrate 4g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 0 protein.
SLICE AND BAKE RAINBOW COOKIES RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, eggs, flour, red food coloring, orange food coloring, yellow food coloring, green food coloring, blue food coloring, purple food coloring
Provided by Claire Nolan
Categories Desserts
Yield 24 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat butter until creamy.
- Add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Beat until well combined.
- Gradually, add the flour until dough is moist and holds together, but doesn't stick to your hands.
- Place dough on a cutting board and form into a ball. Cut in half, then cover one half with plastic wrap and set aside.
- Divide the other half into 6 pieces. The outer layers of the rainbow will need a little bit more dough, so make two of them slightly larger than the others.
- Dye the dough with food coloring by placing a ¼ teaspoon of dye on the ball of dough and kneading it until it is one solid color. Gloves optional but suggested.
- Starting with purple, roll the dough into a log about 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) long. This will be the center of the rainbow.
- Next, roll out the blue dough with a rolling pin until it's about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, slightly longer than the purple, and wide enough to wrap around the purple dough. Repeat with the green, yellow, orange, and red doughs. The further away from the purple you get, the wider the dough needs to be to go around the previous color, making the red dough the widest.
- Wrap the blue dough around the purple, pinching together any cracks that form, cutting off any excess dough. Repeat with the rest of the colors.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap, and cut the dough in half to make 2 rainbow shapes. Set aside.
- Cut the reserved dough in half, roll out to ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness, and make it slightly longer than the rainbow log.
- Place the rainbow dough in the center and wrap the plain dough around it, again, pinching together any cracks and smoothing out the surface.
- Repeat with the other halves. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap. Slice cookies about ½-inch (1 cm) thick and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the bottom has browned slightly.
- Cool on a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 188 calories, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 2 grams, Sugar 11 grams
RAINBOW COOKIES(7 LAYER)
A co-worker gave me this recipe 3 years ago. The are WAY better then the ones you buy in a bakery! I have tried these cookies with Splenda-it DOES NOT work!
Provided by BiscuitsandGravy
Categories Dessert
Time 50m
Yield 8-12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Beat eggs, add melted butter, almond extract, sugar, and flour. (Let the melted butter cool a bit before adding it to the beaten eggs).
- In 3 bowls, evenly divide batter. Leave 1 bowl white, 1 bowl red, and 1 bowl green.
- Place each batter in a very shallow pan-seperately.(I use aluminum pans from Waldbaums. They are the size of a loaf, but not as deep. They come in a package of 3-which is what you need). Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes- approximately.
- Put red layer on top of wax paper. Spread raspberry preserves on layer. Take white layer, place on top of the red layer and spread preserves. Take the green layer, place it on the white. Spread the melted chocolate chips on the top.
- Place in the freezer, just long enough for the chocolate to harden. When hardend, take out and do the same on the other side.
- Take out carefully and slice into bars. Whole pieces can be frozen and sliced when needed.
- ****NOTES****.
- While the 1st side of the bar is hardening, you can start the whole process over because you will have enough batter and melted chips for a 2nd bar of cookies. ALSO Add some oil to melting chocolate chips to keep it from clumping together (if needed).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 782.7, Fat 44.9, SaturatedFat 26.8, Cholesterol 250.1, Sodium 310.3, Carbohydrate 90, Fiber 2.2, Sugar 64.3, Protein 8.5
ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIES
Also known as Venetians, Neapolitans or tricolore cookies, these classic Italian-American treats are not really cookies at all, but thin, dense layers of brightly hued almond cake stacked with apricot jam, and coated with glossy chocolate. The layers are traditionally red, white and green to resemble the Italian flag, but, of course, you can play around with the colors depending on the holiday and what you have on hand. This version is adapted from Mary Carpino, from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., who made them every Christmas for years. One of her granddaughters, Nicole Carpino Frasco, passed along the recipe to us. We increased the chocolate and salt slightly, but the festive spirit of the recipe remains. Mrs. Carpino stored them in her chilly winter attic, but if you don't have one of those, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 5 months.
Provided by Margaux Laskey
Time 2h
Yield About 70 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Arrange 2 racks in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Make room in your refrigerator for 1 half-sheet pan. Grease 3 (13-by-9-inch) baking pans or quarter-sheet pans with cooking spray or a little oil, then line with parchment or wax paper. (This helps the paper stay in place.) Spray or oil the parchment.
- Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or with a hand mixer), or in a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer, break up the almond paste using a fork or your fingers. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract. Using the paddle attachment, beat on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through. Turn off the mixer, add a third of the flour and salt, then beat on medium-low until just combined. Repeat with another third, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, and continue until all the flour is added and incorporated. Transfer batter to a large bowl. Rinse and dry the mixing bowl.
- Add egg whites to the mixing bowl and beat on high speed with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, 30 to 45 seconds. Fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined.
- Remove one-third of the batter to one of the prepared pans. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the batter in the pan all the way to the edges. (This can get a little tricky, but have patience and take your time. The oil on the pan should help hold the paper in place, but if you're having trouble, hold the paper in place with one hand while you spread with the other.) Remove another one-third of the batter to a medium bowl and add a couple drops of green food coloring. Stir until blended, and add more to reach your desired shade. Transfer green batter to a prepared pan and spread evenly. Add a couple drops of red food coloring to the remaining batter, stir to combine, add more as needed, then transfer to the last pan and spread evenly. Firmly tap each pan on the countertop to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until the edges are barely browned, the tops are just set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Immediately slide cakes from the pans onto racks using the parchment paper. Cool completely.
- Using the parchment paper, slide the green cake onto a half-sheet pan. In a small saucepan, heat preserves over medium until loose, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Spread half of the preserves over the green layer, going all the way to the edge. Carefully flip the uncolored layer on top (use a large offset spatula to help), and remove the parchment paper. Spread with the remaining preserves. Top with the red layer and remove the parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and place another rimmed baking sheet on top of the cookies. Transfer to the refrigerator, then top with heavy cans so the weight is evenly distributed. Refrigerate overnight.
- Melt half of the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second bursts. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate on the top and to the edges, then refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Melt the remaining chocolate. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on a cutting board, then place on top of the cake and invert the cake onto the board. Spread the bottom with the remaining chocolate. Let cool for a few minutes, then use the tines of a fork to draw waves in the chocolate and add sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate until almost firm, but still slightly soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. (If you wait until the chocolate is fully set, the chocolate will crack when you cut.)
- Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry, then trim the edges and save for snacking. Cut the cake into 1-inch squares, running the knife under hot water and drying between cuts. Return to the refrigerator to set completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container with wax paper between layers. Allow to come to room temperature a bit before serving.
HOLIDAY RAINBOW COOKIES
I love these from the bakery but this recipe sounds easy for a novice baker. I tore it out of a magazine which describes these as "little Italian cakes." You will need 3, 11x7-inch, baking pans for this.
Provided by Oolala
Categories Dessert
Time 1h5m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow; this will take several minutes.
- Incorporate the flour thoroughly and then add the melted butter.
- Add the almond extract.
- Take off two, 1 cup portions of the batter so that you now have three thirds. In other words, divide the batter into 3 equal portions which should be approximately 1 cup each.
- To one portion, add a few drops of red food coloring.
- To the second portion, add a few drops of green food coloring.
- One portion will remain yellow.
- Pour each portion of batter into it's own greased and floured 11 X 7 inch baking pan.
- You will have one with green, one with pink and one with yellow batter.
- Bake these in a 350 degree F. oven for 12 minutes, or until the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and cool to room temperature.
- Turn the red cake onto a cutting board and spread half the jam (1/4 cup) on top.
- Place the yellow layer of cake on top of the jam coated pink cake and spread the other 1/4 cup of jam on top of that yellow layer.
- Finally place the green layer on top of the yellow layer.
- Melt 3 oz. of the chocolate with 1/2 tablespoon oil in the microwave for about 30 to 60 seconds and stir to combine.
- Spread on top of the green cake layer and refrigerate until firm.
- Now melt the remaining chocolate and oil the same way and spread on the red cake layer which you've placed side up toward you. The cake has the green side coated with chocolate facing down.
- Refrigerate until firm.
- Cut into 1 inch squares and serve. * You can keep the ends that you trimmed off of the four outer sides before cutting the cake into squares.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 381.1, Fat 25.7, SaturatedFat 15, Cholesterol 111.2, Sodium 140.2, Carbohydrate 38.2, Fiber 2.8, Sugar 23.4, Protein 5.2
Tips:
- Use a quality chocolate brand: This will make a big difference in the overall taste of the dessert.
- Don't overmix the batter: Overmixing can make the cake tough.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean: This will ensure that the cake is cooked through.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting it: This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Use a variety of toppings: This will add flavor and visual interest to the dessert.
Conclusion:
The 7-layer cake is a classic dessert that is perfect for any occasion. With its moist chocolate cake, creamy frosting, and variety of toppings, it's sure to be a hit with everyone. By following the tips above, you can make sure that your 7-layer cake turns out perfectly.
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