Christmas Tea 2022–Rainbow Cookies
All of the colors of an Italian Christmas! Yes, these are a bit of work, but very pretty
Equipment
- 3 9" x 12" jelly roll pans
- 1 offset spatula
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
- 2 cups flour
- 8 ounces almond paste
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs, divided
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 15 oz jar apricot jam, smooth
- red and green gel food coloring
- 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour three 9'x12' jelly roll pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside
- In a stand mixing bowl, combine the almond paste and 3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is fine crumbles. Beat in 2 1/2 sticks butter, a few pieces at a time, until well combined. Beat in the egg yolks, until smooth.
- Sift 2 cups of flour with salt and add to mixer bowl; beat until just combined.
- In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy; while whisking, slowly add the remaining 2 T of sugar and whisk until firm peaks form. Fold about 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the batter with a rubber spatula, then gently fold in the rest. Batter should be fluffy.
- Divide the batter between three bowls. Stir red food coloring in one bowl to create a deep salmon color. Stir green into one bowl to make a medium green color. Leave the third bowl uncovered.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pans–one for each color. Dip an offset spatula in water and spread the batter to the edge of the pan, smoothing the tops. Bake until cakes are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Switch the position of pans halfway through. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks
- Spread half of the jam evenly over the green cake layer almost to the edges. Unmold the plain cake layer by inverting onto a cutting board; peel off parchment. Carefully slide the plain layer onto the green layer. Spread the remaining jam on top of the plain layer. Unmold the red layer and slide onto the plain layer.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and top with one of the remaining pans. Use several heavy pans to weigh down the layers. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When chilled, remove the cans and plastic wrap. Place a cutting board on top of the cake and flip it to unmold onto cutting board. Trim the sides with a knife to make straight edges. Spray a wire rack with cooking spray; set the wire rack over a baking sheet. Carefully slide the cake onto the rack.
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water; pour over the cake. Dip offset spatula into 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 chocolate is mostly set, but is slightly tacky.
- 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.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Linda Bastianich–Food Network Magazine