Somebody's Mom: Rainbow Cookies

You can usually buy rainbow cookies in every bakery. They are not quite the all-American chocolate chip cookie, but they are very popular.  

I am not particularly a fan of jelly-filled cookies, so I don’t really care for the rainbow cookie.  My daughter-in-law, Christine, happens to love them, so I thought I would try to make them for her. I have been buying them for her on occasion but decided to try baking them on my own.  

The recipes in my collection of cookbooks produce very large quantities and gives me the opportunity to see a recipe prepared various ways. Whether the cookbook is an instructional teaching cookbook like Betty Crocker or Good Housekeeping or handed-down recipes in an informal women’s group collection cookbook, the choices are there for me to see.  

I study the different recipes and create a recipe of my own and then begin cooking. My rainbow cookies have a Nutella filling instead of the jelly filling. 

The rainbow cookie recipe was nowhere to be found in any cookbook I owned.  I searched through at least 10 various cookbooks. Suddenly, I remembered my sister-in-law Susan, who is a great cook in her own right. She has been a great source for cooking questions. Not only is she a great cook, but she owned a deli for years and I respect her experience in the kitchen.  

Susan sent me to Claudia, my other sister-in-law, from whom Susan said she got her rainbow cookies recipe. Well, Claudia, had two recipes for rainbow cookies from two different people. Both looked interesting.  

I must have called Claudia three times on these recipes, and she was very helpful. Sometimes reading a hand-written recipe does not always explain certain things clearly.

One recipe said to use toaster oven-size pans. How many people have three toaster oven size pans? None that I know of! Claudia explained to me that these smaller aluminum pans can be purchased at the supermarket in packages of two. Sometimes you need help when cooking, so don’t be afraid to ask. I always ask.

Well, I made both recipes and had everyone in my family taste them. They agreed they liked both but for different reasons. The recipe made with almond paste is shorter and more condensed. The recipe made with almond extract is higher and cake-like.  

Family approval is all I need to make a recipe again—along with hearing the question “Can I have another one?!”

Rainbow Cookies

• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1-1/ 2 cups butter
• 12-1/2 ounce can almond filling
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• Red, green food coloring
• Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
• Chocolate chips and a drop of canola oil

1. Oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 3  13x9x2 pans, line with wax paper (or parchment paper) and then grease again on top of the paper.
3. Beat egg whites stiff in a bowl and set aside. 
4. In a large bowl, combine almond, sugar and butter. Cream together well, and then add egg yolks and almond extract. Beat until fluffy, add flour gradually, blending well.
5. Gently stir in stiffened egg whites.
6. Separate the cookie dough into 3 sections. Dye with the food coloring one dough red, one dough green and leave one dough white. Spread the doughs evenly into the three prepared pans.
7. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
8. Cool completely. Layer with red cookie; spread the Nutella; layer of white cookie; Nutella; ending with the green layer on top. 
9. Slice the sheet of cookies into long logs. Melt the chocolate chips with a few drops of canola oil and microwave (you may have to do this a few times, stirring in between) until all chips are melted and smooth. Spread the melted chocolate over the logs covering the tops and sides. Cool completely. Slice cookies into 1-inch wide slices, with the colors showing.
10. ENJOY! Italian rainbow, Italian flag, Tri-color, Viennese—Whatever you want to call these cookies doesn’t matter. What does matter is that they are divine!

Mariann Raftery, creator of Somebody's Mom blog, cooks up comfort food recipes for families here at home, as well as sending homemade cookie care packages to our American soldiers overseas. Somebody's Mom Cooking videos at  http://www.youtube.com, search "Thesomebodysmom".