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Rainbow Cookies

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Rainbow cookies are a must-have on any party menu and are sure to leave your guests impressed with your baking skills. Despite looking like they take ages in the kitchen, rainbow cookies are surprisingly easy to make and are the ultimate party pleaser.

For more delicious party recipes, why not try this Classic Homemade Nuts and Bolts Recipe or Chocolate Bourbon or Rum Balls?

Table of Contents
  1. Rainbow Cookies
  2. Rainbow Cookies Ingredients
  3. How To Make Rainbow Cookies
  4. How To Easily Separate The Eggs Into Their Whites & Yolks
  5. How To Properly Beat The Egg Whites To Smooth Peaks
  6. PIN THIS RECIPE to your DESSERT RECIPES Boards and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
  7. Rainbow Cookies Recipe
Rainbow Cookies on white counter

Rainbow Cookies

When throwing a party, it is always nice to have a few items on the menu that wow your guests. Equally, no one wants to spend hours cooking while also dealing with all the other stresses that come with throwing a party.

This is what makes rainbow cookies the perfect party dish; they not only impress even the most critical of guests, but they also come together in no time at all. Rainbow cookies are one of those magical recipes that contain a few sneaky tricks that make them look a lot more complicated than they actually are.

Whether throwing a children’s party or a New Year’s Celebration, rainbow cookies are a must-have on the buffet table. There will be at least a few guests asking for the recipe before the party is over.

Rainbow cookies ingredients

Rainbow Cookies Ingredients

Make sure you look at the recipe card at the very bottom for the exact amounts so that you know exactly what to buy for this recipe.

• Almond paste

• Butter

• White sugar

• Eggs, separated

• all-purpose flour

• red food coloring

• Green food coloring

• Almond extract

• Red raspberry jam

• Apricot jam

Chocolate Topping

• Semisweet chocolate chips

• Butter

• Heavy cream

Rainbow Cookies batter in process

How To Make Rainbow Cookies

• Line three 9×13 inch baking pans with parchment paper

• In a large bowl, break apart the almond paste with a fork and cream with the butter, sugar, and separated egg yolks

• When the mixture is fluffy and smooth, stir in the flour to form a dough

• In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form

• Fold egg whites into the dough

• Divide the dough into 3 equal portions

• Mix one portion with red food coloring and one with green food coloring

• Spread each portion into one of the prepared baking pans

• Bake for 10 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit until lightly browned

• Carefully remove from the pan and parchment paper and cool completely on wire racks

• Place the green layer onto a piece of plastic wrap large enough to wrap all three layers

• Spread the green layer with raspberry jam, and top with the uncolored layer

• Spread with apricot jam, and top with the pink layer

• Transfer layers to a baking sheet and enclose with plastic wrap

• Place a heavy pan or cutting board on top of wrapped layers to compress them together

• Chill in the fridge for 8 hours, or up to overnight

• After chilling, remove the plastic wrap

• Melt chocolate chips with the butter and heavy cream, and once combined and smooth, pour over the top of filling in the pan and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until the chocolate is firm

• Slice into small squares to serve

Rainbow Cookies piled on plate

How To Easily Separate The Eggs Into Their Whites & Yolks

Separating eggs into their whites and yolks can be a little tricky and is definitely something that requires practice in order to do quickly and with confidence.

The first few times that you try this make sure to do it over a separate bowl, rather than straight into your cookies mixture, just in case, it goes slightly wrong. Having a few extra eggs on hand can also be a good idea just in case you need to start over.

To start with, crack your egg in half over a bowl. Using a butter knife or the side of the bowl to make a crack in the shell help to ensure a smooth break. Then carefully pull the top half of the egg along the crack away from the bottom half.

You ideally want to have one half of the eggs shell in your left hand and the other half in your right hand at this point. Now gently move the egg yolk between the two shell halves while allowing the white to fall down into the bowl.

It can take several passes before the yolk and white are completely separated. Over time, and as you become more confident, you will be able to pass the yolk backward and forwards and allow more white to fall into the bowl at once. But, to start with, it is best to take it slow, making sure to keep the yolk intact.

The process is complete once as much of the egg white as possible is in the bowl leaving just the yolk in one half of the shell.

Rainbow Cookies piled on square plate

How To Properly Beat The Egg Whites To Smooth Peaks

Beating egg whites can be pretty tricky for some people, mostly because of how much effort they take to form up properly.

The trick is to use an electric mixer to beat them and to make sure that there are absolutely no other contaminants present in the egg white mixture. Anything other than the egg whites or water will cause the egg whites to be unable to form into a thick, fluffy meringue.

If you are having trouble, try adding just a little bit of acid, literally just a few drops; either some lemon juice or a bit of regular distilled white vinegar.

Also, make sure to stop beating the egg whites once they flop a bit when you lift the beater – you don’t want to beat them too stiff!

Looking for more delicious cookie recipes? Try these out:

Cowboy Cookies

Old Fashioned Cream Cheese Cookies

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

Happy Cooking

Love,

Karlynn

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Rainbow cookies are a must-have on any party menu and are sure to leave your guests impressed with your baking skills. A sure party pleaser!
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Rainbow Cookies

Rainbow cookies are a must-have on any party menu and are sure to leave your guests impressed with your baking skills. A sure party pleaser!
5 from 3 votes
Rainbow Cookies on white counter
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
24 squares
Calories
804
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

  • 8 ounces almond paste
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 4 eggs separated
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 drops red food coloring
  • 6 drops green food coloring
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • ¼ cup seedless red raspberry jam
  • ¼ cup apricot jam

Chocolate Topping

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line three 9×13 inch baking pans with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, break apart almond paste with a fork, and cream together with butter, sugar, and egg yolks. When mixture is fluffy and smooth, stir in flour to form a dough.
  • In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into the dough.
  • Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Mix one portion with red food coloring, and one with green food coloring.
  • Spread each portion into one of the prepared baking pans.
  • Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Carefully remove from pan and parchment paper, and cool completely on wire racks.
  • Place green layer onto a piece of plastic wrap large enough to wrap all three layers. Spread green layer with raspberry jam, and top with uncolored layer. Spread with apricot jam, and top with pink layer.
  • Transfer layers to a baking sheet, and enclose with plastic wrap. Place a heavy pan or cutting board on top of wrapped layers to compress. Chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.
  • Remove plastic wrap.
  • Melt chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of heavy cream, combine until smooth and pour over top of filling in pan
  • Refrigerate 1 hour, or until chocolate is firm. Slice into small squares to serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 804kcal, Carbohydrates: 87g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 48g, Saturated Fat: 25g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 162mg, Sodium: 274mg, Potassium: 308mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 52g, Vitamin A: 1051IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 4mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

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