On Tuesday, my brother called me to ask if he could come over and help me make cookies.
Yes. I was shocked, too. And suspicious. Mostly suspicious.
After all, the boy doesn’t even like cookies (unless they are vanilla with vanilla frosting). It’s almost like we don’t share half of a gene pool. Or look anything alike. Both. False.
Sigh. I need to get more realistic siblings.
Being that it is the holiday season and all, I put my doubts and misgivings aside and said, “Yes! Absolutely! Come forth!”
And then do you know what he did?
He came over and slept in my bed.
He slept through me caroling at the top of my lungs. Into his ear. He slept through me “accidentally” dropping a few pots and pans on the floor. Next to his ear. And he even slept through the heady scent of almond that immediately pervaded my apartment when I put these in the oven.
Inexcusable.
However. The joke was on him.
Because when he finally came to and managed to meander his way into the kitchen. And asked, “So where are the cookies?”
I smiled. Coyly. And cackled. Just a teeny tiny bit.
And said, “Oh, you know. They’re in the fridge. Chilling.”
“But they’ll be done soon, right?”
A stare down ensued.
Finally. Just when tensions got thick enough that you could cut them with an offset spatula. “Let me answer your stupid question with another stupid question,” I replied. Fight fire with fire. Good call. “How many milliseconds are there in eight hours?”
It was at this point, I think that smoke started to come out of his nostrils. (This is how you know that he is related my to my mother. They both have this nostril flaring thing that happens when they’re mad.)
Because, you see. The boy does not like cookies. But these? These aren’t just cookies.
They are rainbow cookies. They are the most coveted cookie out of the entire Italian cookie gamut. I know this because whenever my family orders a tray of Italian butter cookies. There are only approximately two of them on it. And we all know that things are more desirable when they’re harder to get. (That’s why I refuse to sleep with anyone on the first, second, third, or sixteenth date. Supply and demand, people. Or “why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free”, as my mother likes to tell me. Daily.)
Why are these cookies so great, you ask? Well obviously, you haven’t tasted them (or at least not really good ones) if you’re asking that question. I’ll expand.
You see, you bite into them and you get chocolate, followed by an intense rush of almond, followed by a hint of sweet tangy apricot jelly. Your tastebuds dance. Everything feels right in the world. And then you realize that there are no more left because Italian bakeries tend to be very stingy with their rainbow cookies. Until this year, that is.
Because this year, you know me. And so you are either receiving a box of these. Or you are reading this recipe and are going to run off to your kitchen immediately to make ’em. Right? Right. I’m so glad we see eye to eye on this kind of thing. That’s why I love you.
Anyways, this shall be my last post before Christmas! I want to wish you all a happy holidays filled with love, happiness, good food (although that falls into the “love” category, right?) and some really awesome presents. You guys are the best gift a girl could ask for, so thank you for always being so amazing. I already got everything I want for Christmas. Really. Thanks.
Italian Rainbow Cookies (Seven-Layer Cookies)
Makes about 5 dozen, depending on how small you cut them, adapted from Smitten Kitchen
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 (10 oz) can almond paste
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
red and green food coloring gels
1 (12 oz) jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Scharffenberger)
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350. Butter a 13×9 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper with 2 inches hanging off either edge. Butter/grease the paper.
2. Beat egg whites in mixer fitted with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. Slowly add in 1/4 cup of sugar, beating at high speed until stiff glossy peaks form. Transfer egg whites to another bowl.
3. Switch to paddle attachment and beat together the almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and almond extract and beat until combined well, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low then add flour and salt and mix until just combined.
4. Fold half of egg white mixture until almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
5. Divide batter equally among three bowls. Dip the back of a metal fork into the red food gel and then use that to mix one bowl of the batter. Food coloring gels are super potent and this is all you will need for that pretty in pink color. Repeat with the green food gel and another of the bowls of batter. Put the green batter in the fridge. Pour red batter into prepared pan and spread with offset spatula. I would recommend using a really small offset spatula and then kind of roughly spreading the batter as far vertically and horizontally as you can without worrying too much about thickness. Then when it’s basically where it needs to be, even it out more carefully. This was the hardest part of the whole thing for me so don’t feel bad if it takes you a while!
6. Put in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until just set. It is important to UNDERCOOK these. They will look like they’re not done but a toothpick inserted will come out clean.
7. Using paper overhang, transfer layer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Clean pan, then grease and line again. Fill it up with the white layer and bake until just set. While the white layer cooks, take the green layer out of the fridge to return it to room temperature. Transfer white layer to a rack. Clean pan, then grease and line again. Fill it up with the green layer and bake until just set. Transfer to a rack to cool.
8. When all layers are cool, invert green layer onto a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Discard paper from layer and spread with half of preserves. Invert white on top of green layer, discarding paper. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert red on top of green layer. Discard remaining parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and weight with a large baking pan. I weighted with a large baking pan, and the two Mark Bittman tomes – How To Cook Everything and How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. Chill at least 8 hours. (Although I think I only waited 5. And they still turned out fine.)
9. Remove weight and plastic wrap. Bring layers to room temperature. Melt 3.5 oz of the chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, keeping the chocolate over the water.
10. Trim edges of assembled layers with a long serrated knife. Quickly spread the chocolate in a thin layer over the top of the cake. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and place another baking sheet on top. Invert cake onto baking sheet and remove parchment paper. Melt another 3.5 oz of chocolate and spread in a thin layer over the top of the cake. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
11. Cut lengthwise into as many strips as your heart desires. I think I ended up cutting seven or eight. As I said before, it depends on how small you want em! Cut strips crosswise into small squares.
Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks. They’ll keep even longer in the freezer (and will be easier to cut, according to Smitten Kitchen!)
These are linked up to the 12 Days of Bloggie-mas over at A Moderate Life!
Gorgeous cookies Joanne! Merry Christmas to you and that ornery Brother. 🙂
I will come clean– I typically don’t like Italian cookies. Too bland, too dry. But these look delish! Your friends are lucky to get them! I hope you have a fantastic holiday, too! Make lots of goodies and post about them on your return!
shut up shut up shut up shut uppppppppppppppppppp these are my FAVORITEEEEEEEE!!! gah i can’t WAIT to have one on xmas. haha i’m gonna leave it to other people to make them for me but boy i wish i had the patience to make these!
Wow times seven! These look fantastic. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Joanne. Your rainbow cookies point the way to a pot of gold. They really look delicious. Have fun with your family and enjoy the holiday. Blessings…Mary
OMG, Joanne, I think those are my favorite cookies- and posted on my birthday. How appropriate! they look really hard to make. Are you a genius? You must be, but not your brother. Haha j/k
Wow, Joanne! These cookies look colorful, crisp and delicious. Must try for my kids. festive greetings to you and your family.
What a pretty looking cake Joanne 🙂
Wishing you and your love one a Happy Holidays !
These are so pretty! They look a little advanced for me (I’m a plop and drop cookie maker) but I like looking at them!
Laura
These are definitely a work of art. That is so funny about your brother. He’s lucky to have a sister that will bake for him while he sleeps. What a life!
AMAZING Picts! These look fabulous! I know I have said this before but I simply do not know where you find the time!
My brother sends me emails with simply one word – and that word is what he thinks I should be cooking next. For instance the other day it was: Cheesy Bacon Potato Skins. That’s it. Brothers?
Anywho – Merry Christmas! Happy to have gotten to know you and your blog this year! Can’t wait for eating in 2011! XO
OMG! I think I will never be such patience to make it layer by layer. You’ve done a good job and it looks really amazing!
What a festive treat!! Love it.
“…you get chocolate, followed by an intense rush of almond, followed by a hint of sweet tangy apricot jelly.” Sign me up! I can imagine the smells wafting through the kitchen. How your brother slept through that is beyond me. But I think as a repercussion, I should get his batch. Please tell me this is why you wanted my address.
Merry Christmas, Joanne. Can’t wait to spend another year with you.
These look amazing! I just read through all the directions and I’m not sure I’d have the patience for all this. I missed the part about how the bottom got covered, I’ll go through it again, I am guessing it was inverted.
What’s the difference with just food coloring and the food coloring GELS?
Gorgeous, Joanne! Best wishes to you for the holidays as well! 🙂
Woo hoo! They look great Joanne! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
i dont want to run and bake them rite away , yeah u heard rite , i DONT want to bake these , instead i want to rush /run /crawl to ur home RITE NOW , dig out these wherever they are hidden at,and finish them at one go:-)
Oh sooo good , super good , i lovee the idea of the layers!
And ur cookie looks sooo perfect , im bursting with ideas for these one Jo , i sooo am!
Ok i jus took a bite of some chocolate wrapped marzipan and am back here now , a little more relaxed to talk to u..
Sorry i needed to rush for more…babe am so craving these , my heart desires these and these are like sweetest little cakkeys too me!
U’ll see these around my space sooonn too!
Must bake these …..and with the almondy flavor lingering on my t.buds , i say bye, as i rush for another slice, and will catch u soon again!
Wish u a very wonderful Christmas Jo and to ur bro too:-)
Huggies and love from Mia.
Merry Christmas Joanne! Thanks for the cookie recipe and the funny family story. Your Mom sounds like a hoot and a half.
i never really liked 7-layer cookies but my husband LOVES them. i may have to give in and try this recipe!! oh and your brother not liking cookies is like my sister not liking ice cream, sometimes i wonder if we are REALLy related
Merry Christmas Sweetie…and your brother..LOL..he seems just like mine.The guy gave you company atleast so what if he was sleeping all through whlie u were making these beautiful & vibrant colored cookies.I love the neat way in which u ‘ve cut them!I like those green batter clicks a lot!
I always wished I had a brother, although I guess if I did, I’d have to share my cooking with him….hmmm, yea ok, I dont want a brother. What a gorgeous cookie! most cookies taste ok, but lets face it, arent so fancy.This one looks elegant and expensive
haha! sounds a little bit like me and my brother. but much funnier and less serious. i have always wanted to make italian seven-layer-cookies! glad you liked!
When I saw Italian Rainbow Cookies (Seven-Layer Cookies) on my dashboard, I clicked it right away.. seven layers what? glad i clicked into it, and i can’t write any longer because im gonna run and make it right away haha!
merry christmas joanne!
I’ve seen these before, but never made or tasted them. It sounds like I’m definitely missing out!
Merry merry Joanne! I hope you have such a fab Christmas and I wish you a 2011 filled with amazing food and sweet treats. One of my 2011 resolutions involves a cookie exchange with my favorite NYC bloggers and if you happen to have some of these on hand I wouldn’t say no – they look JUST like the ones at Italian bakeries! So gorgeous and well done – the 11 steps alone might have stopped me! Thanks for sharing!
I would totally run off and make them myself except I think I would be making something for tommorrows nights feast. As for sybilings I know how it is I have twins that don’t look or act related.
I do want to run right into the kitchen and make these. thanks for sharing the recipe
Merry Christmas and prosperous New year Joanne. These rainbow cookies are addictive, sure. love to make them.
Wowie, home-made rainbow cookies! Joanne, what an amazing pre-Christmas finale. This traditional cookie recipe seemed out of my grasp . . . until I read your play-by-play with the gorgeous photos. Thanks for sharing the kitchen love with us. Merry Christmas.
Oh you did a fantastic job with these, Jo! I have to be honest. I don’t really love rainbow cookies but they do look beautiful and definitely remind me of the holidays. Merry Christmas, darling!!
I am still hanging around here , and so in lovee with these , i cant take my eyes off ur screen or get these outa my mind!
and have swiped all the marzipan in the house and my food grinders gone out for servicing {i know,what timin} and i dont know when i make a next batch , but i must and make almond paste as well!!
and actually i so want to know what ur baking out there!
Those are the prettiest cookies ever! They could taste like cardboard and I’d still love them. Good think they don’t! Hope your Christmas is a very Merry one!
i have been looking for a recipe for a long time! I am soooo happy you posted this! they look great!
These look amazing! I have never had them before. I love anything with almond paste.
I wish you and your family a very merry Christmas:)
“Just when tensions got thick enough that you could cut them with an offset spatula.” I LOVE THAT! so funny.
🙂
xo Alison
Did your brother never hear the story of The Little Red Hen when he was growing up? He who doesn’t help – doesn’t eat!
Your are a good sister 😉 These sound delicious and look beautiful!
These are fabulous Joanne! How have I never heard of these before??? Definitely need to make these.
at least your brother shows some homemade-baked-good-love! my brother is the most intense food critic. anything i make, or anything we eat out at a restaurant, is just “okay.” so no more baked goods for him, it’s not worth it. but these… these might win him over. unfortunately i don’t have as much baking stamina as you, so the world may never know.
Hey, do you do delivery? I’m almost serious. When is your baking business starting?
these are my favorite cookies at Jewish bakeries, but in our culture we just call them rainbow cookies. And they’re especially popular (like most things made with almond paste) at Passover when flour is a no go.
What I would give for a slice of this tasty treat… beautiful!
*sigh* Brothers are painful, aren’t they? Your cookies are beautiful, I really love the pastel colours. And the photos are stunning, especially the last one (yum, chocolate!)
Those are my all time favorite type of cookies. Thanks so much for posting a recipe!
I LOOOOVE rainbow cookies and I don’t even know why. I think I need to give you my FedEx number, so you have it on hand for next time you make rainbow cookies 😉
..these are so intriguing..and looks so difficult to make but utterly pretty..
oh oh oh look at those colors! never seen cookies like this…i wanna try!
A Merry 7 layer Christmas to you too, Joanne! I hope you have a wonderful holiday, you deserve it.
I’ve wanted to make these for a while. They’re so pretty! Truthfully, I’ve never had one, but the pretty colors always get me, haha. Merry Christmas! I hope we’ll get to hang out after the New Year 🙂
My family and I LOVE these too – I have my list of cookies filled for this week, but forwarded this on to my mom to find out when she would like to try. THANK YOU for the inspiration (I always thought they would be harder, but looked do-able, hopefully they are not too hard!!)
Such pretty and colorful cookies. Have a fabulous Christmas–enjoy the holiday with your family. 😉
Aren’t siblings the best? lol. How gorgeous are these! I’d love to try one! Happy holidays, Joanne!
I have siblings who just don’t understand the baking urge – and I wonder how we can be related – your brother sounds like he at least knows how to get into your house so he is not stupid!
those cookies look amazing – I almost don’t care how they taste because they look so good but I am confident that they taste excellent and will disappear as quickly as the ones your family devours
One of our regular customers at the restaurant I manage brought us in a box of cookies, and it had several of these – well, certainly not these exactly, but close enough. And I’d never seen them before today! Weird…
I come to this blog when I need to vicariously carb-load through you, Joanne 😉
It’s so funny how varied Italian traditions are in families! We’ve never made these! They look gorgeous and sound delicious, though! Maybe next year. Enjoy your holidays, Joanne!
I remember you talking about your brother and his love for vanilla cookies with vanilla frosting, hehe. These layered cookies look amazing.
Happy Holidays my friend!
These are awesome, but I still can’t figure out your brother. Well, obviously, neither can you!
Merry merry to you all (even your cookie-disliking brother).
These are so pretty, Joanne. What lucky people the ones you share these with are!
Merry Christmas to you!
Merry Christmas, Joanne!
Merry Christmas Joanne! Your blog is so thoughtful and beautiful that it’s a gift to us! My Italian in-laws would be so proud of your Italian Rainbow cookies!
Your cookies are great. Your brother sounds like my sister, so I predict all’s well that ends well. GREG
These rainbow cookies look so festive and delicious! The chocolate layer is so smooth and shiny.
Merry Christmas!
Angie
These really are amazing! And they are so pretty too. I’ll have to bookmark these and find an excuse to make them. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Joanne!
Ciao Joanne
simply amazing, I have not seen those cookies in so very very long. I’m sure somewhere in Philly they exist, but its been way to long since I have indulged. I would love to give those a try!
Buon Natale!
Dennis
They DO look like something I used to eat from Philly!!!! Great…now my mouth is watering…
Wow, they are so pretty! I have never seen Italian rainbow cookies before. Wonderful!
Here’s wishing you a blessed and merry Christmas, Joanne.
you should’ve had your brother make a batch AFTER he woke up! lol. these look awesome, and i’m intrigued, as I don’t think i’ve ever had one that really got me like this is calling out to me 🙂
merry christmas Joanne!!
How gorgeous are these?! Gah. Your brother is SO lucky to have you as a sister. 😉
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you Joanne and I have to tell you that these are my VERY favorite cookie EVER!!!! When I was little and lived on Long Island my uncle would go to the bakery every Sunday and bring back an assortment of cookies. My cousin and I would fight over the rainbow cookies because there would only be a few in the bunch. I’ve never attempted to make these but I’m thinking about it! These are also my sons favorite. They are hard to come by down here in Virginia but I found some in Wegman’s who order them from a bakery in Brooklyn!!!
These are so pretty and you make them look so effortless! Maybe it’s best your brother slept through them. I’m guessing he wouldn’t have appreciated the cookie making technique involved! Happy holidays, Joanne! 🙂
wow amazing cookies bet they were fun to make Merry Christmas
Love Rebecca
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR, Joanne! =)
Why, I have *never* even seen these Rainbow Cookies before! My, one really does learn something new everyday, eh? 😉
Merry Christmas! And totally love the Christmas colors in your layer cake 🙂
So the brother slept while you made the cookies? Tsk, tsk! They turned out beautifully and I’m sure they tasted just as great too! Hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!
We fight over these cookies in my family! Eyes have been gauged, hair pulled, shins kicked…all for that last cookie. My heart beats faster at the thought of homemade ones! So divine.
Merry Christmas! xoxo
That’s one way to improve the cookie, LAYERS! looks fantastic! Merry X-mas!
These are beautiful. Happy holidays!
YOU are my favorite discovery in 2010! May you live and blog for 100 years!
Donna
They look fantastic!
Not fair..you made me so hungry
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW. BEAUTIFUL DESSERT.
and a BEAUTIFUL JOANNE <3
Oh man these look so good! I can’t wait to make them when I get back! Ha so much for the post holiday diet!
Merry Christmas Joanne! I hope you have a fantastic one with your family and best wishes for the New Year filled with yummy food of course! Cheers!
Passion4Food here to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. May 2011 bring you lots of happiness and friendship. Have an awesome day with your love ones!!
jen @ http://www.passion4food.ca
Merry Christmas, Joanne!
xoxo, Louanne
Joanne, you outdid yourself with these 7 layer cookies – petits fours sweet treats. Hope you had a great time with your brother. Merry Christmas! XO
I made these this year. I have yet to take a photo. I made them a couple years ago and knew I had to make them again. They are the bombe, arent they? I really could do without all other cookies just to have these. Totally worth the effort.
Merry Christmas Joanne! Peace and grace be with you and your family.
This is one impressive cookie alright! It sound so delicious too! Hope you had an amazing Christmas Joanne!
I am not Italian but these are still my favorite cookies. Fortunately for me, the photos are not showing so I can refrain from running to make them.
Joanne!!!! These. are. my. FAVORITE!!!!
Seriously, I go crazy over rainbow cookies (a little gay???) Even as a child, I loved these little sweet treats. I am so happy you posted this recipe.
I absolutely love rainbow cookies! Thanks for sharing the recipe… I’l have to try out the homemade version. I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
I’ve never heard of these before but they look amazing!
I can’t remember if I posted on this already (christmas food haze has not lifted yet) but I bought $13 marzipan after reading this post (and can’t understand why my Italian-soaked cooking background has never seen these yet!! Who’s been blinding me?) Thanks so much for this!
These look wonderful! Nice sibling story also!
Ummmm…Schnarffenberger…seriously?? Bwaaa haaa haaa haaa. Excuse me…that’s the bourbon talking. These look magical…fantastical…perfect 😉 Hope you had a great Christmas!
very pretty, very festive, very worthy of a pat on the back–well done, joanne, and happy holidays!
Wow…I think these are gorgeous, and I’m not even Italian. 🙂
I will have to compare this recipe with mine.I make my own almond paste, now… I have made these a few years, and each time, I learned to do something better. The one I have posted is the best of all, now. SO moist an full of lovely marzipan flavour! Yours are gorgeous. This is a very ambitious project, but my love of marzipan drove me to my quest. I would love to hear about your first experience with these… mine was a photo and reading the recipe – truly!!!
Did your mother make them before you?
I love the story of your brother and your description of the cookies. They do make enough for gift giving, that is why I love them.
How many did he get for breakfast for you to appease him and his flaring nostrils?
🙂
Valerie
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Joanne! And I’m incredibly jealous…these cookies are the one new (to me) cookie recipe I really had my heart set on making this year. Sadly, time just slipped away and I didn’t get the chance to make them…that’s ok, for now I’ll live vicariously through your gorgeous pictures. There’s always next year, right? 🙂
So pretty and I love the almond paste in them. I had disappointing rainbow cookies from a bakery once and haven’t tried them since – I should make these!
These cookies look gorgeous, and even though I’ve had Italian cookie platters, I don’t think I’ve ever had one. If I wasn’t sick, I’d rush off to the kitchen to make them. I guess I’ll save them for a later day. Your brother and my brother sound so similar… my brother slept through most of the weekend while I was home visiting my family.
I’ve always wanted to make these, but I shied away because I think they’re complicated. I need to overcome my fear and be a good Italian.
[…] Three years ago…English Muffin Bread with Pumpkin Pomegranate Butter and Homemade Peanut Butter, Italian Rainbow Cookies […]
[…] via Eats Well With Others. Makes …read […]
[…] via Eats Well With Others. Makes about 5 […]
Oh my goodness! My mom has made these cookies for years and they are my absolute FAVORITE. I was so excited to see that someone else makes them too. We call them Venetians. Your cookies look delicious.
I just finished making these cookies. They turned out beautifully. Thank you for the recipe.