A DELICIOUS BLOG HOP

It's the ever so much fun MckLinky Blog Hop again. And this weeks theme is favorite recipe or dish. Italian Layer Cookies AKA Rainbow cookies is my all time favorite recipe for many reasons. First because they are delicious. Second because I can bake way better than I can cook. And third because these cookies have sentimental meaning to me. My mom used to bake them for my husband every Christmas and wrap them in a box as one of his presents. I say "used to" because she passed away 5 years ago from brain cancer.


Italian Layer Cookies AKA Rainbow Cookies

Ingredients:

1 can (8 oz) almond paste (you can buy almond paste in a tube or in a can. The can is the best one.
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
20 drops of red food coloring
12 drops of green food coloring
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup apricot preserves or jam
1 package (16 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Beat egg whites with electric mixer until stiff and set aside. In a large bowl break up almond paste. Add butter, sugar and egg yolks, and blend with a spoon. Mix in flour and fold in the egg whites. Divide the mixture into three equal portions. Mix 1 portion with red food coloring, 1 portion with green food coloring and leave 1 portion plain. Smear each portion evenly into greased individual pans. Bake each layer separately for about 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Let the green layer cool for 10 minutes. While still in pan, spread raspberry jam over the top. Flip the plain layer on top of the raspberry jam layer and spread apricot jam on top. Flip the red layer on top of the apricot jam. Melt the chocolate chips and spread over the top of the red layer. Put in fridge until the chocolate is dried but not too hard. Cut into squares. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.