Italian Rainbow Cookies (Seven-Layer Almond Christmas Cookies with Raspberry and Chocolate)

Why you’ll love it

• Bakery classic at home: the same moist almond layers, raspberry jam and chocolate you buy by the pound in New York.
• Makes a big batch: about 60 cookies, enough for trays, parties and gifts.
• Great make-ahead: they taste even better after a day or two and freeze perfectly.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the almond cake layers

• 8 oz (225 g) almond paste (not marzipan), at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure almond extract
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• Red gel food coloring (about 1/4 tsp)
• Green gel food coloring (about 1/4 tsp)

For the filling

• 3/4 cup (240 g) seedless raspberry jam (or apricot preserves, strained)

For the chocolate coating

• 6 oz (170 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp coconut oil or vegetable shortening

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare the pans. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter three 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) metal baking pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides and butter the parchment. If you only have one pan, bake the layers one at a time, letting the pan cool and re-lining it between batches.

2. Whip the egg whites. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high until foamy, then gradually add 1/4 cup (50 g) of the sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

3. Make the batter. In a large bowl, crumble the almond paste and beat it with the remaining 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until it looks like fine sand. Add the butter and beat 3 to 4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and almond extract. On low speed, mix in the flour and salt just until combined. Fold in the egg whites in two additions with a spatula until no white streaks remain.

4. Color the layers. Divide the batter evenly among three bowls (about 1 3/4 cups or 400 g each; a kitchen scale helps). Fold red coloring into one bowl and green into another until evenly colored, and leave the third plain.

5. Bake. Spread each batter into a prepared pan in a thin, even layer with an offset spatula, reaching all the corners. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until the layers are just set and spring back when lightly pressed, with edges barely golden. Do not let them brown. Cool 5 minutes in the pans, then lift them out by the parchment onto wire racks and cool completely.

6. Stack the layers. Warm the jam for 30 seconds in the microwave and stir until smooth. Turn the green layer upside down onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and peel off its parchment. Spread it with half of the jam. Top with the plain layer, peel off the parchment and spread with the remaining jam. Finish with the red layer, top side up, and peel off its parchment.

7. Press and chill. Cover the stack with plastic wrap, set another baking sheet or a cutting board on top and weigh it down with a few cans or a heavy skillet. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight so the layers bond.

8. Coat with chocolate. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth. Spread half over the top of the cake and refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes, until set. Lay a sheet of parchment on top, flip the cake over, spread the remaining chocolate on the bottom and chill 15 to 20 minutes more.

9. Cut. Let the cake sit 10 minutes at room temperature so the chocolate does not crack. Trim the edges with a long sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, then cut into about 60 pieces of 1 x 1 1/2 inches (2.5 x 4 cm).

How to know it is done

Each cake layer is done when it is set across the center, springs back when you touch it lightly and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean; the edges should only just start to turn golden, while the top stays pale so the colors remain bright. The assembled cookies are ready to cut when the stack feels firm and cold all the way through and the chocolate is fully set and no longer shiny or tacky.

Tips for the best result

• Use almond paste, not marzipan; marzipan has much more sugar and makes the layers dense and sweet.
• Gel food coloring gives vivid colors without thinning the batter.
• Weigh the batter for each layer so all three bake evenly and the stripes look neat.
• Do not skip pressing and chilling; it is what makes the layers stick together and cut cleanly.
• Clean the knife with hot water between cuts for sharp, bakery-style edges.

Variations and substitutions

• Apricot filling: use strained apricot preserves instead of raspberry jam, as many old New York bakeries do.
• Dark chocolate: use bittersweet chocolate (60 to 70%) for a less sweet coating.
• Chocolate on top only: coat just the top for a quicker version; chill the cake upside down to set.
• Natural colors: tint with beet powder and matcha or spinach powder instead of food coloring; the colors will be softer.
• Holiday sprinkles: scatter finely chopped pistachios or nonpareils over the chocolate before it sets.
• Gluten-free: use a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum.

Make ahead

Bake the layers, stack them with jam and press them in the refrigerator up to 2 days before coating with chocolate. The finished, uncut cake also keeps well wrapped in the refrigerator for 3 days, which makes it easy to cut fresh cookies for each party. For gift boxes, make the cookies up to 1 week ahead and keep them refrigerated, or freeze them up to 3 months.

Storage and reheating

Store the cookies in an airtight container with parchment between the layers at cool room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To freeze, wrap the cookies tightly in plastic wrap and foil or place them in a freezer container for up to 3 months, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight. No reheating is needed; serve them chilled or let them sit 10 minutes at room temperature for the softest texture.