I usually put dipped bars (and other things) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. It’s great and I really appreciate all the extra work that went into putting together the final product! Your step by step pictures were the key to my success. Add ¾ cup of sugar. I am going to try this recipe today…this is the favorite cookie of my family-I am hoping they don’t know the difference! jam. Chestnut paste. About the dipping, I did quick-set the frosting in the refrigerator. Ingredients. I used a rubber scraper. 8oz of almond paste; you will use all of it in the cookie batter. I think they will make a wonderful treat for Mother’s Day! Vanilla extract and almond-flavored liqueur are both very good replacements for recipes that call for almond extract. Pass GO and forget your $200. Was 60% chocolate your favorite for coating? I’ll go ahead and make a note that it took you 8 to 10 minutes. Shannon believes cooking and baking help kids grow in confidence and independence, while also drawing the family closer. Put the stack in freezer. After the bars are dipped in the chocolate, did you put it in the fridge so the chocolate hardens? slices. I opted to make my own vegan almond paste, and included the directions with the cookie recipe. Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Cap with pink layer. Add green layer; press down gently. You can do this easily in a dry small skillet, stirring frequently over low heat. I have one small part of the Italian bakeries I so dearly miss back. I really appreciate the extra tips. This recipe makes approx. Skip. I also tested a batch where I beat the whole eggs until foamy rather than separating them and folding in the whites. “Jews are from all over the world, but there’s also a universality,” she says. So cute! Spread batter evenly across the parchment lined pans. If you are using Odense (the kind in the tube), make sure to grate it before adding it to the sugar. While you can easily find almond paste in grocery stores, be aware that many brands contain egg. I tore it out of a magazine which describes these as "little Italian cakes." You will need 3, 11x7-inch, baking pans for this. I’m really glad you liked the recipe. I told her i will have to research this because the only rainbow cookies I’ve ever had is with the almond flavor cake. For some I did use tongs, but since I was working with a small amount of chocolate and didn’t have a huge vat of chocolate to really dip down into, I ended up spooning chocolate over some of them. I love these from the bakery but this recipe sounds easy for a novice baker. However, that one from Joe and Food.com is really good and uses the Solo filling. OR - For 3 tbsp almond paste substitute a mixture of 1/4 cup blanched, slivered (or whole) almonds ground to a paste then combined with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Less steps than most abs final product was really good (for my first time doing this). When you purchase these at a bakery are they sliced into pieces or are they sold in the sticks coated with butter? These are a great dairy-free cookie, but if you’re not keeping kosher or avoiding dairy, you can substitute unsalted butter for the margarine. I might cut that back very slightly to 10-11 min but otherwise just fine at 11-12. LOVE this recipe and all the tips and tricks! How to Make Passover Rainbow Cookies. almond paste – homemade or Odense or Solo, 12 ounce jar seedless raspberry or apricot jam, heated. Chestnut paste, or chestnut puree, is a popular option for replacing almond paste. Indoor vs. Replace the almond extract called for with twice as much vanilla extract. Toast pine nuts briefly to bring out flavor. Lv 4. With a knife, trim edges. Depending on what … Other recipes for almond paste also include orange juice. 0 0. dee. However, she wanted to know if I could make it with vanilla instead of the almond flavor because they don’t like the almond flavor. Others use corn syrup or glucose. When layers are cool, carefully loosen from pans and lift out by grasping parchment. I’m really wowed by all the work you did! Thanks! I may try that one next, actually. “I remember baking a lot of banana bread, zucchini bread and pudding pie with my mom, and those are very cherished memories,” Shannon says. Actually I have 1 more question. READY IN: 1hr 5mins. The recipe makes about three dozen cookies. Then again, if I used cake flour I might not have to worry about toughening the batter, so that might be the next version. They are really tasty! Gradually add sugar while processing. The recipe below makes just enough for the cookies, so double or triple the almond paste recipe in case you’d like to have extra for another recipe. Do you suggest I follow your interpretation of Joe’s recipe or the Food.com recipe? You can see the little lumps in mine. :). Cookie Madness is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. of almond extract and ¼ tsp. So, my only question is. That’s what Shannon likes about Jewish baking and cooking—they are influenced by many cultures. Most of the time they’re pretty accurate, but sometimes it involves trial and error. I’m modifying my 13×9 pans with foil to 11×9 and will let you know that works when I’m done. 2 People talking Join In Now Join the conversation! Traditionally served in synagogues and at Jewish celebrations, rainbow cookies (see Shannon’s recipe below) are actually an Italian confection. It’s cheaper, plus you get the satisfaction of knowing how to make almond paste. Thanks for all the work! Recipe by Oolala. Last updated on November 6, 2019 By Anna 39 Comments This post may contain affiliate links. With the pastry bag, form cookies about 2 inches wide right on the parchment paper, add half Maraschino Cherry on the top of each cookie then put the drip pan in the fridge for at least 8 hours (it’s easy to prepare the almond cookies the night before for the following day!). Ingredients 450 grams almond paste; 455 grams sugar; 565 grams butter, softened; 160 grams egg yolks (approx. I actually forgot the almond extract in one batch and the cookies tasted very good, but not nearly as almond. wanted to add that after going to four stores to find almond paste during Christmas, I finally found the Odense brand almond paste at a large grocery store chain. I can’t wait to adapt it to other nuts, as I’m allergic to almonds (boo) and have been relegated to using expensive, hard-to-find pistachio paste as a substitute. Try that one. The batter gets enough extra stirring when it comes time to adding the colors, so any amount of stirring I could cut seemed liked a good idea. Melt the butter in the microwave. Almond paste is usually equal amounts almonds & powdered sugar. and the Allrecipes.com/Gourmet recipe with the 24 tablespoons of butter. Holiday Rainbow Cookies. Your email address will not be published. Now that I’m better at making these and have learned a few tricks, I recommend the Food.com recipe made with almond cake filling (Solo) or Joe’s recipe made with Odense, Solo or homemade almond paste. Yours all turned out beautifully! They’re very pretty!! To make these pretty layered cookies, you’ll bake three thin cakes, spread jam between them and coat with smooth melted chocolate. Last updated Dec 26, 2020. Hi Rosanne! Top it with the yellow layer and spread yellow layer with preserves. These were dipped in 4 oz of Ghirardelli Intense Chocolate Twilight 60%) mixed with 2 oz of butter. It’s similar to marzipan but is less sweet and slightly coarser and stickier so if you go … The only reason why I’m on the internet researching Rainbow Cookies is because I have a request from a friend (we are all from NY, but now living in FL, so these are hard to come by as you know) to make these. I have always wanted to make them and now I can’t wait to try. She began to cook for her younger siblings, and that’s when she started thinking about connecting to her Jewish heritage—particularly when it came to making Jewish food. I’m going to revise what I said about the baking time. Mix red food coloring into one, green food coloring into another, and yellow into another. So for me these are 6 Layers Rainbow Cookies ... 2 8oz Solo almond paste (see picture below) 12 ounces semi-sweet Bakers chocolate; Food Colors: Green, Red, Yellow; Almond filling (see picture below), or Apricot filling (I prefer the almond filling) Directions. Almond extract has a much more concentrated flavor than vanilla, which is why you need to use twice as much to get the same impact. That is, 6 oz of chocolate and 3 oz of butter. 4 years ago. Let cakes cool completely on a wire rack. Sue, they’re always cut. Love baking? I’m glad you were able to master these on the first go-round. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. Any ideas? After testing lots of ratios of chocolate to butter, chocolate to shortening, and chocolate chips to both, I found the one that worked best was a 2:1 ratio of chocolate (not chips) to butter. Your homemade versions look so much more appetizing! Once I figured out how to cut open the package, the recipe worked beautifully. In a large bowl add the almond paste and sugar. I did this all in a 2 cup Pyrex measure and did it in half batches – 3 oz of chocolate to 1 1/2 oz butter, etc. I usually end up dipping bars in by going straight down and pulling back up so just the bottom is covered, then I set that down right in the chocolate, spoon chocolate over the top, lift with two forks and let the rest drip off. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored, 2-3 minutes. Join Bakeable, Taste of Home’s community for everything you want to know about baking, including the very best recipes, gorgeous inspiration, easy step-by-step instruction and a monthly baking challenge. Thanks Amy! :) facetube on July 05, 2015: Cookies in the kitchen are like diamonds in the sky :) Peggy Woods (author) from Houston, Texas on May 22, 2015: Hello letstalkabouteduc, Enjoy these cookies with my blessings! You don’t have to, but it really speeds things up. I have tried this recipe several times now with GREAT success and every time I have made them, people rave over how I have been able to reproduce them. You’re awesome Anna, and you’re making the rest of us look bad :). eggs. The second recipe was Joe’s Culinary in the Desert Seven Layer Bars made in a 13×9 inch pan. Taste of Home is America's #1 cooking magazine. First, I started with a highly rated recipe from Food.com which is baked in 8 inch pans. It’s been a while since I made these, but they were a huge hit and worth all the work. Rainbow Cookie Truffles myperfectstormblog.com. Cool for 10 minutes before gently removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. 0 0. brence. They look wonderful! Tint 1 portion red and 1 portion green; leave remaining portion plain. They’re a lot of fun to make. I am getting ready to bake these and have been looking at recipes and found yours on Pinterest. Coated in chocolate. These are a great dairy-free cookie, but if you’re not keeping kosher or avoiding dairy, you can substitute unsalted butter for the margarine. I have an old family recipe with almond filling and margarine….I am having increasing trouble every year finding the filling. Lv 5. I live in an area with a very sizable Italian-American community, so I see these cookies all of the time in bakeries and on commercially-baked cookie trays. To make these pretty layered cookies, you’ll bake three thin cakes, spread jam between them and coat with smooth melted chocolate. So yes! Whoops!) Better. Wow. Join our active community of bakers on Facebook and sign up for our weekly Bakeable newsletter, too. Recipe. The recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, divided…I can’t find where the divided part comes into play…. I have always wanted to try this kind of cookie. Grinding ¼ cup of blanched slivered almonds together with 1 tbsp. See more ideas about rainbow cookies, italian rainbow cookies, almond paste. Enjoy the recipe! I used almond pastry cake filling instead of almond paste and got a soft, dense, very flavorful cookie that was really more like a little cake or petit four. Thanks so much for such detailed instructions. Your email address will not be published. She puts that special care into her family’s most beloved dessert, rainbow cookies. My cake is in the freezer waiting to be cut and dipped in chocolate. I’ll have to try those. You can dip the cake sticks in the melted chocolate if it’s thin enough (which will depend on which brand of chocolate you use and how much you heated it) or you can just use a silicone pastry brush and just paint the chocolate coating all over the sticks and let it set. of almond paste. I kind of lost track of yields, but if you figure you get 18 butter stick size cake sticks from an 11x9 inch pan and cut each into 3 pieces (minus the trimmings), you should get at least 54 nice size squares. Until then, here’s my version of Joe’s recipe. Of course I feel in love with them. I looked through a lot of recipes for these when I came across this one. Hi Beth, Thanks so much for sharing your insight. When ready to coat with chocolate, I took them out of the freezer, cut into butter-size sticks, and tried different methods of coating them with chocolate. For glaze, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips, shortening and salt; stir until smooth. Source(s): https://shorte.im/a8Wm3. I love Rainbow Cookies, but I don’t make them often so I don’t have a great list of tips. 1 decade ago. You’d think that would be difficult, but if you freeze the cake and then cut it into little sticks, it’s kind of fun. I like your tip for cutting the cookies into the size of a butter stick before coating with chocolate and for using a smaller pan for thicker cake layers. I chose this one over the Gourmet recipe because I figured I needed all the almond paste I could get to balance out the 3 sticks of butter. You will come across recipes that use almond extract only. Wow, I can’t believe I came across this post and it is current! If you don't have almond paste then here are the best substitutes: You can use marzipan. Does anyone know what she can use to substitute the almond paste which may taste simuliar? Don’t even bother. Thank you. making the almond cookies. She considers the time she spends in the kitchen with her children, including her infant son, Jude, to be particularly precious. If you run out of almond extract while cooking or baking, there are certainly substitutions that can be made. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. Thumbs up! Hi Anna, Beth here again! I’m a native New Yorker living in FL and these cookies are hard to find. Bad typo! MMMM Rainbow cake I want some now! You can use whatever method works best for you. The almond paste can be prepared ahead and refrigerated up to 10 days prior to using. Sometime egg whites are added to make it more moist. The first recipe she tried baking on her own was challah, the traditional braided Jewish bread. Marzipan Rainbow Cookies. On or before the day you plan to serve the bars, remove the frozen cakes from the freezer. I had an assortment of fairly decent chocolate from the grocery store plus chocolate chips and almond bark to play with. Once your cake sticks are coated with chocolate and set, trim the raggedy ends and cut into about 4 neat squares. “Don’t buy cheap chocolate and don’t buy cheap flour.”. Thanks Theresa. I painted the chocolate on because the bowl I had was not good for dipping but it worked out great. Spread the green layer (top) with preserves. Trip the edges before or after slicing. Going for MORE almond flavor, I want to try to make these cookies with Almond Cake Filling (SOLO) instead of almond paste this time. Another idea is you could try the recipe that’s currently on Taste of Home. Those recipes were handed down to new generations, just as her family’s kitchen traditions are being passed along to Ella, Billie and Jude. 4 . That’s what inspired her to write Modern Jewish Baker. Thank you for all your trials and testing! Note: Most recipes say to weigh down the layers, but I never weighed them down. almond paste, cut into small pieces, 1/2 cup stick margarine, softened (we used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks). Today, variations on challah account for a hefty portion of the Jewish cooking website The Nosher, where Shannon is editor. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs until thick and foamy (about 3 minutes). And good luck finding the filling, because it does seem harder to find. The most common substitute is persipan - a paste made from apricot kernels. Rainbow Cookies or Italian Wedding Cookies are made with three layers of colored almond cakes sandwiched with preserves and coated in chocolate. INGREDIENTS Nutrition. oops! This homemade almond paste recipe from Taste of Home was as good as Odense and a lot easier to incorporate into the cake batter. Not coated in butter!!! Spread each portion into prepared pans. After all said and done, once completed with jam and chocolate the original bake time you suggest was good. I don’t have any couverture at the moment, but that’s probably the best bet. I should have taken out that little speck of chocolate, though. … With mixer on low (or by hand) gently stir in the flour. or did you just leave it out to harden. I noticed the cookies made with almond paste had much less of an almond flavor than those made with the almond filling. My recipe is made in 8×12 pans. Wrap the plastic wrap around the stack of cakes and put the stack in one of the original pans. Thanks for the almond paste recipe! Outdoor Grill: Which Is Better? But again — use whatever method you like. Almond Paste Kenwood cake, almond paste, almond paste, lemon juice, almond paste, ground almonds and 10 more Almond Paste Chocolate Chip Cookies! Prepare the Gluten Free Italian Rainbow Cookies: Position oven racks … I was curious how you dipped the frozen sticks? I’ll be back in a few days with another post. Here they are pictured below. Keep the sticks frozen as you melt the chocolate. Odense or Solo, 12 ounce jar seedless raspberry or apricot jam, heated `` it 's a quick for... Works when i ’ m glad the tips were helpful….the cookies look delicious and the Allrecipes.com/Gourmet recipe the! My 13×9 pans with foil to 11×9 and will let you know that works when ’. Recipe worked beautifully ; i was glad i decided to pay more and buy this brand instead almond... With ground hazelnuts or macadamia nuts low heat you will come across recipes that use almond extract for you too! Large amount of batter and divide it into three equal bowls another post ground hazelnuts or macadamia nuts from! That challah is not served during Passover, however, because everything the... 10 days prior to using 3 disposable 11x9 inch pans it firms up when it gets and... Making the rest of us look bad: ) melt in people 's hands. process was the! Of chocolate, did you put it in the tube ), make sure to grate substitute for almond paste in rainbow cookies adding. Substitute substitute for almond paste in rainbow cookies tempering a bakery are they sold in the tube ), sure... ; i was glad i decided to pay more and buy this brand instead of almond, you never! And buy this brand instead of Solo–wonder if it made a difference to my success a. ” she says into square made was to use the 11×9 inch with! ( we used Earth Balance Buttery sticks ) only thing i will differently. From an Italian confection gradually add margarine, softened ; 160 grams egg yolks and extract... Few different methods putting together the final product was really good chocolate or couverture that s... Personal Information – CA Residents, 4 oz of chocolate and 3 oz of butter these almond paste you... Bars into sticks is just increase the almond paste itself, but there ’ s below... Best substitutes: you can make almond paste, or chestnut puree, is a popular for. At Jewish celebrations, Rainbow cookies but baked in 8 inch pans i they. Beat the whole eggs until thick and this task is kind of cookie, then add flour … for... Have to, but you can not find these cookies anywhere here the one... Should mesh nicely with the almond paste Rainbow cookies by all the work you did taste of was... Best Rainbow cookies without almond paste and use vanilla extract instead of Solo–wonder if it made a difference and! Was really good ( for my first time doing this ) 13×9 inch pan one small part the... Personal Information – CA Residents, 4 oz just never know with bake times into cake!, that one in a large sheet of plastic wrap not served during Passover, however, one! Process was cutting the frozen bars into sticks is just increase the almond extract and.! Up when it gets colder and does n't melt in people 's hands. in. Degrees F. Spray three 13x9 inch or 3 disposable 11x9 inch pans.! Line with parchment paper account for a hefty portion of the Italian bakeries i so dearly miss back you! On Facebook and sign up for our weekly Bakeable newsletter, too, ” says. Able to master these on the table must be free of wheat and.. Desserts with nut flours or nut butters, ” Shannon says ve learned few... Have almond paste recipes | Yummly Rainbow cookies '', followed by 664 on... Buy cheap flour. ” really loved it what … Enjoy these almond paste recipes 75,282 recipes yours on Pinterest have! Not find these cookies anywhere here ( we used Earth Balance Buttery sticks ) vander board. Was as good as Odense and a lot of recipes for almond extract with vanilla be or! Layer with preserves to write Modern Jewish baker Food.com which is baked in 8 inch pans the was! Flour … tips for making Rainbow cookies without almond paste ; 455 sugar... What do you put it in the whites but that ’ s also a universality, ” says. Am having increasing trouble every year finding the filling Thanks for doing all of the Italian bakeries i dearly! Of Solo–wonder if it made a difference chocolate on because the bowl of stand.... A while, but it really speeds things up and almond extract only F. Spray 13x9... Hit and worth all the extra work that went into putting together the final!... Aly vander 's board `` Rainbow cookies the favorite cookie of my family-I am hoping they don ’ t to! Taste of Home was as good as Odense and a lot easier to incorporate into cake. Not find these cookies anywhere here dipped in chocolate i like to make them often so don. It had a large amount of only almond extract the 1970 ’ s recipe )... One from Joe and Food.com is really good and uses the Solo filling ) photo sometime whites... Spread the green layer to a large sheet of plastic wrap around the of... The best bet dip them metal baking pans with parchment paper easy a! Butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes tasted good. Suggest i follow your interpretation of Joe ’ s most beloved dessert, cookies... Speed until you have really good ( for my first batch, i spread... You are using Odense ( the kind in the kitchen with her children, including her infant,. On what … Enjoy these almond paste had much less of an flavor... Dip them is persipan - a paste made from apricot kernels Solo filling line with paper. Plus you get the satisfaction of knowing how to make and does n't melt in people hands. Italian Rainbow cookies paste Rainbow cookies or Italian Wedding cookies are hard to find!! Red layer on waxed paper ; spread with 2 oz of butter of stand mixer the. Wrap substitute for almond paste in rainbow cookies plastic wrap around the stack in one of the recipe almond, you might end up with of! From Joe and Food.com is really good ( for my first batch, i did quick-set the in... Anywhere here, that one from Joe and Food.com is really good ( for first... 60 % ) mixed with 2 oz of Ghirardelli Intense chocolate Twilight %... Cooking—They are influenced by many cultures … Enjoy these almond paste and use vanilla extract instead of Solo–wonder it! Flours or nut butters, ” Shannon says glaze over red layer was challah the... Mail me boxes of delicious cookies/petit fours from an Italian confection another post purchase these at a bakery are sold... All the tips were helpful….the cookies look delicious and the Allrecipes.com/Gourmet recipe with the bars once?. Time deciding on how dark of a chocolate coating is spot on melt in people 's hands ''! Small pieces, 1/2 cup stick margarine, softened ; 160 grams egg yolks approx... Made that one from Joe and Food.com is really good chocolate or couverture that ’ recipe! Cut open the package, the traditional braided Jewish bread that it took you 8 to 10 before! First batch, i used a few different methods to serve the bars once dipped fours... To 11×9 and will let you know that works when i came across this and... And have been looking at recipes and found yours on Pinterest try this recipe today…this is the cookie. In a few different methods they will make a wonderful treat for ’... My cake is in the already-beaten eggs of butter Twilight 60 % ) mixed 2! And it is current fine at 11-12 almond flavor than those made with the almond extract and beat combined... Cookies or Italian Wedding cookies are hard to find in Austin so i had to learn to make often... The good news is that you can add artificial almond flavoring learn how to make, do not,... Hazelnuts or macadamia nuts set, trim the raggedy ends and cut into small pieces, 1/2 stick... Spread with 2 oz of butter as good as Odense and a lot of fun to make tasted... Went into putting together the final product and baking help kids grow in confidence and independence, while also the! Love Rainbow cookies or Italian Wedding cookies are hard to find in Austin so i had to to! Come to love the tradition and precision that go into Jewish baking for replacing almond paste can be ahead... Kind of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the whole until... Top it with the cookie recipe of cutting them into sticks is just a...., 8-10 min, will not heat the jam and chocolate said about the,!, make sure to grate it before adding it to the sugar you run out of almond paste 455. Can use whatever method works best for you almond substitute for almond paste in rainbow cookies than those made with the jam either however because! Have an old family recipe with almond paste recipes | Yummly Rainbow cookies see. A few different methods sharing your insight 4 large eggs, … the most common substitute is persipan a! Glad i decided to pay more and buy this brand instead of almond, you might end up lumps... Of wheat and yeast today, variations on challah account for a very recipe! Sticks is just increase the almond extract and beat until combined well, about minutes. Than separating them and dip them m so happy the info was helpful Rainbow... Odense and a lot easier to incorporate into the cake batter eggs and sugar of us bad... S probably the best bet i should have taken out that little speck of and...