Italian Rainbow Cookies

• Refrigerated

  • 4 Eggs, large

• Condiments

  • 8 oz Almond paste
  • 2 15-ounce jars Apricot or seedless raspberry jam, smooth

• Baking & Spices

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Food coloring, red
  • 1 tsp Food coloring, green
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 lb Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, small
  • 1 tsp Shortening

• Dairy

  • 2 1/2 sticks Butter, unsalted

Found on cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com

Description

Ingredients

• 8 ounces almond paste
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 + ½ sticks (1 + ¼ cups) unsalted butter, softened, cut into pieces, plus more for the pans
• 4 large eggs, separated
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (measure first), plus more for the pans
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring, gel or paste preferred
• 1 teaspoon green food coloring, gel or paste preferred
• 2 (15-ounce jars) smooth apricot or seedless raspberry jam
• 1 pound semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped small
• 1 teaspoon melted shortening

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 15-by-10-inch rimmed sheet pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
• Mix the almond paste and all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until you have fine crumbles.
• On low speed add the butter, a little at a time and mix until well combined.
• On low speed add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until smooth.
• Beat in salt and flour on low speed until just combined.
• In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until foamy while slowly adding the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, continue beating on medium speed until stiff peaks form. When the beater is lifted the whites should stay stuck to it.
• Fold about a third of the egg whites into the batter to start then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
• Divide the batter evenly into three bowls. Leave one bowl plain. Add red food coloring to the second stirring to make a deep-salmon color. Add green food coloring to the last bowl, stirring to make a medium-green color.
• Spread batter into each of the prepared pans with an offset spatula as evenly as you can - it will be very thin.
• Bake, rotating pans to opposite racks, until cakes are cooked through and just beginning to brown around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cakes cook completely on wire racks.
• Put the green cake on a large cutting board and spread one jar of jam evenly over the cake almost to the edges. Top with the plain layer.
• Spread the remaining jar of jam over the plain layer almost to the edges. Top with the red layer.
• Top the red layer with a piece of parchment then wrap the entire cake in plastic. Top with another pan, weighted with cans.
• Chill in a cool place or in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Unwrap the cake. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or using the chocolate setting on your microwave until smooth. Stir in the shortening.
• Pour the chocolate over the top the cake and spread it evenly from edge to edge with an offset spatula. Allow the chocolate to set in a cool place or in the refrigerator. If you like you can run a fork through the chocolate when it is halfway set from one end to the other, slightly undulating it so it looks like waves, repeating until it is entirely striped.
• Use a serrated knife to cut into rows then cut the rows into squares or rectangles. Wipe the knife clean with a wet cloth after each cut.
• Store in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator up to 1 week.