Authentic Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe: A Delicious Burst of Color and Flavor (2024)


Bring a touch of Italy into your kitchen this holiday Season with this delightful and delicious recipe for Italian Rainbow Cookies.

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Also known as Venetian or Tri-Color Cookies, these vibrant treats are a beloved staple of Italian-American bakeries. With their layers of almond sponge cake, raspberry jam, and chocolate coating, they are not only visually appealing but also incredibly delicious. We’ll guide you step by step through the process of creating these irresistible Italian Rainbow Cookies.

This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate and Susannah of Feast + West. Every year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give.

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Ingredients for Italian Rainbow Cookies: Creating Layers of Flavor

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  • 1 cup sugar
  • 8 oz almond paste
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 eggs, separate yolks and whites
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon red food color
  • ½ teaspoon green food color
  • ½ cup raspberry jam
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
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Step-by-Step Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 and prepare 3 square baking pans with baking spray

In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, almond paste, and butter until smooth

Add in the egg yolks one at a time

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Mix in the milk and almond extract

Add in the flour mixing until combined then set mixture aside

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites to stiff peaks then fold into cake mixture

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Separate the mixture in equal amounts into 3 separate bowls

Add red food color to one bowl, green food color to another, and leave the 3rd bowl as is

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Place each batter in a separate prepared baking pan

Bake 10-12 minutes, cool completely

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Place the green cake on a plate and spread half of the jam on top

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Next place the regular colored cake on top and spread the remaining jam on top

Lastly, place the red cake on top

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Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring until smooth

Spread evenly on top of the chilled cake, use a fork to add texture and design if desired

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Chill for an additional 30 minutes until the chocolate is set

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Slice the rectangle into 1 inch squares

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Serve and enjoy!

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By following this recipe, you’ll be able to recreate the magic of traditional Italian Rainbow Cookies in your own kitchen. Prepare to impress your friends and family with these visually stunning and utterly delicious treats. Happy baking!

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Authentic Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe: A Delicious Burst of Color and Flavor (17)

Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe

Yield: 48

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes

Learn how to make authentic Italian Rainbow Cookies with this step-by-step recipe. These vibrant and delicious treats feature layers of almond sponge cake, raspberry jam, and chocolate coating. Get ready to enjoy a burst of color and flavor!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 8 oz almond paste
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 eggs, separate yolks and whites
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon red food color
  • ½ teaspoon green food color
  • ½ cup raspberry jam
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 and prepare 3 square baking pans with baking spray
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, almond paste, and butter until smooth
  3. Add in the egg yolks one at a time
  4. Mix in the milk and almond extract
  5. Add in the flour mixing until combined then set mixture aside
  6. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites to stiff peaks then fold into cake mixture
  7. Separate the mixture in equal amounts into 3 separate bowls
  8. Add red food color to one bowl, green food color to another, and leave the 3rd bowl as is
  9. Place each batter in a separate prepared baking pan
  10. Bake 10-12 minutes, cool completely
  11. Place the green cake on a plate and spread half of the jam on top
  12. Next place the regular colored cake on top and spread the remaining jam on top
  13. Lastly, place the red cake on top
  14. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours
  15. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring until smooth
  16. Spread evenly on top of the chilled cake, use a fork to add texture and design if desired
  17. Chill for an additional 30 minutes until the chocolate is set
  18. Slice the rectangle into 1 inch squares

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

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Authentic Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe: A Delicious Burst of Color and Flavor (2024)

FAQs

Are rainbow cookies a thing in Italy? ›

While there is no direct analogue to rainbow cookies in Italy, Italian food historian Mary Taylor Simeti speculates that the Italian-American rainbow cookie is based on the tri-colored gelato di campagna, a nougat with the same colored layers.

What is the most popular Italian cookie? ›

Most Popular Italian Cookies
  • Amaretti. These lovely almond-flavoured biscotti were supposedly first made during the Middle Ages. ...
  • Ricciarelli. ...
  • Baci di dama. ...
  • Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti. ...
  • Savoiardi. ...
  • Canestrelli. ...
  • Biscotti al Cocco. ...
  • Pizzelle.
Oct 22, 2020

What do the colors of the rainbow cookie represent? ›

The traditional cookie is colored red, white, and green after the Italian flag. Given the homage, diners likely think that the dessert originated in Italy.

What are those Italian cookies called? ›

In a hurry?
Cookie NameRegion of OriginKey Ingredients
CantucciTuscanyAlmonds, Flour
AmarettiLombardyAlmond Paste, Sugar
RicciarelliTuscanyAlmond Flour, Sugar
PignoliSicilyPine Nuts, Almond Paste
3 more rows
Dec 24, 2023

What are Italian rainbow cookies called? ›

Italian Rainbow cookies are sometimes also called Neopolitans, Venetian Cookies, 7 Layer Cookies, Italian Flag Cookies, and even Tri-color cookies. Many of you probably know them as Seven Layer Cookies (3 cake, 2 chocolate and 2 jam).

Are rainbow cookies Italian or Italian American? ›

Rainbow cookies originate in Italy, but Italian Americans added the color scheme to celebrate their heritage. The yellow layer used to be a white layer, so you'd have the Italian flag.

What flour do Italians use for cookies? ›

For cookies, bars, cakes/cupcakes, biscuits, scones, or anything that needs a tender crumb, use Farina di grano tenero, 00. This is your “cake flour.” Nobody wants a chewy cake. For bread, I recommend starting off with Farina di Manitoba, grano tenero, 0; this is similar to standard American bread flour.

What is the number one selling cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co. But did you know Oreos are a copycat product?

What cookie originated in Italy? ›

Italian Biscotti: Twice-Baked Traditions

Biscotti are traditionally made with simple ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and nuts. Almond biscotti, one of the most famous variations, showcases the nutty richness that defines Italian biscotti.

Who invented Italian rainbow cookies? ›

While nostalgia seems to be the driving force behind this cookie, it can be pretty difficult pinpoint the exact history or creator. Rainbow cookies were made popular in the late 1800's and early 1900's by Italian-American bakeries, particularly those found in New York City (think: De Lillo's or Cafe Ferrara).

Where are Italian rainbow cookies from? ›

Known also as Tricolore cookies, Neapolitans, and Venetians, Rainbow Cookies are believed to have been invented in the United States at the turn of the 20th Century as waves of Italian immigrants arrived to the Northeast.

What nationality are rainbow cookies? ›

Rainbow cookies originated in Italian immigrant communities of the United States during the 1900s to honor their native country. They are also called "tricolore" because of the resemblance to the Italian flag with white, red, and green layers.

What is a popular Italian cookie? ›

Most Popular Italian Cookies. Amaretti. These lovely almond-flavoured biscotti were supposedly first made during the Middle Ages. ... Ricciarelli. ... Baci di dama. ...

What cookies are famous in Italy? ›

Many Italian biscuits pair well with coffee, but some of the most popular include biscotti, amaretti, and cantuccini. Biscotti are perfect for dipping in coffee or tea. At the same time, amaretti are a soft, almond-flavored cookie that pairs well with espresso.

What is the oldest Italian dessert? ›

Panforte

This is one of the oldest Italian desserts on the list, believed to date back to 13th century Tuscany. Panforte is a traditional Italian Christmas dessert made from wrapping fruit, nuts and spices in a gooey blend of sugar, honey and flour.

Who made rainbow cookies? ›

Rainbow cookies were made popular in the late 1800's and early 1900's by Italian-American bakeries, particularly those found in New York City (think: De Lillo's or Cafe Ferrara). The cookie seems to be a product of cross-cultural assimilation. There's no counterpart to it in Italy.

What is a cookie called in Europe? ›

Most English-speaking countries call crunchy cookies "biscuits", except for the United States and Canada, where "biscuit" refers to a type of quick bread. Chewier biscuits are sometimes called "cookies" even in the United Kingdom. Some cookies may also be named by their shape, such as date squares or bars.

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