Rainbow Cookies!

So here it is! Finally, the recipe for the long awaited rainbow cookies. If you make them, after 2 days and a couple hours of long, hard work (which isn't really that hard if you have a stand mixer!!) you can end up with these!! Aren't they pretty???


These cookies aren't hard, but they require a ton of steps from start to finish.  I took a lot of pictures to show you how long it really does take. To be honest, I don't even really like these cookies, but they are such a HUGE hit with everyone else that I love making them.  


My two biggest compliments so far were from my mom and one of my co-workers kids who said "they were the best rainbow cookies he has EVER had!". That's good enough to get me to make these once a year.


So here it is, a bunch of pictures and then a recipe at the end....

Don't forget to separate the egg whites and yolks at the very beginning.  Also buy the almond paste in the can because you won't have any leftover then.

We beat the egg whites with the hand mixer because we had the rest of the batter in the stand mixer. You have to beat them at a fast speed until they have peaks.

After the egg whites were added to the rest of the cake batter.

Separate the batter into 3 different bowls. The first one can go straight to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (spray it with pam).

Look how red it is from the food coloring!

and then there's green...

While I was waiting for the cakes to bake I heated up the preserves in a pot with added sugar. 

I poured the preserves on and then spread it all around with a brush.

Put the green one down first, then the yellow then red on top. I layed them on top of each other by flipping them over on the drying rack and puting the cookie sheet right up against it (I don't think I explained that well....but I hope you know what I mean....)

Okay..time to put this in the fridge...don't mind the mess in the background. Do you see what Danny is forced to volunteers to deal with?? Do you think I look tired enough from hours and hours of baking??

Put a heavy cutting board on top of it (and almond butter...) to weigh it down.

The next day take it out, cut the jagged edges off and ice the top with chocolate. My handy dandy icing tool worked perfectly with this.

You will end up with this!!


Ingredients:
2 cans (8 ounces) almond paste
3 cups (6 sticks) butter, softened
8 eggs separated
2 teaspoons almond extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Green food coloring
Red food coloring
2 jars (24 ounces in total) apricot preserves
1 bag semisweet chocolate


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


1. Grease three 11 x 1 7 inch pans, line with parchment paper and grease again.
2. Break up almond paste in a large bowl with a fork. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract. Beat with electric mixer until it's light and fluffy.
3. Beat in flour and salt.
4. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form in small bowl. With a wooden spoon, stir into almond paste mixture using a turning motion, like folding.
5. Remove 3 cups of batter and spread evenly into a prepared pan. Remove another 3 cups batter and add the green food coloring; spread evenly into second prepared pan. Add red food coloring to remaining 3 cups of batter and spread into the last prepared pan. Put as much color as you'd like. The color will be the same when it comes out of oven.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or just until the edges are golden brown. (Cakes with be about 1/4 inch thick.)
7. Remove cakes from pans immediately onto large wire racks. Cool.
8. Place green layer on top of an upside down pan.(See picture) Heat apricot preserves with 4 tablespoons of sugar. Spread 1/2 of warm preserves over green layer to edges. Slide yellow layer on top; spread with remaining preserves. Slide red layer right onto of yellow layer.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and weight down with large wood cutting board or heavy plate. Place in refrigerator over night.
10. Melt chocolate over hot water in small cup (or in microwave). Spread to edges of cake; let dry for 30 minutes. Trim edges off cake. Cut into 1 inch squares (or rectangles). 


Danny and I offered to cook Christmas Day dinner at his parents house, so I am off to email her the food list of what to get. What is everyone cooking for Christmas in their house??