Rainbow Cookies

Rainbow Cookies

Rainbow Cookies

 

Recipe provided courtesy of Taste of Home magazine.  Find more great recipes at

www.tasteofhome.com

 

I always bake these Rainbow Cookies two weeks ahead.  That allows them enough time to “mellow”, leaving them moist and full of almond flavor!

           Mary Ann Lee                                                                    Clifton Park, New York

 

Rainbow Cookies Recipe

Rainbow Cookies

1 can (8 oz.) almond paste

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, separated

2 cups flour

6 to 8 drops red food coloring

6 to 8 drops green food coloring

¼ cup seedless red raspberry jam

¼ cup apricot preserves

1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grease the bottoms of three matching 9×13 inch baking pans.  Line the pans with waxed paper; grease the paper.

Place almond paste in a large bowl; break up with a fork.  Cream with butter, sugar and egg yolk until light and fluffy.  Stir in flour.  In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.   Fold into dough, mixing until thoroughly blended.

Divide dough into three portions (about 1 1/3 cups each).  Color one portion with red food coloring and one with green; leave the remaining portion uncolored.  Spread each portion into the prepared pans.  Bake at 350 F. for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.

Invert onto wire racks; remove waxed paper.  Place another wire rack on top and turn over.  Cool completely.

Place green layer on a large piece of plastic wrap.  Spread evenly with raspberry jam.  Top with uncolored layer and spread with apricot jam.  Top with pink layer.  Bring plastic wrap over layers.  Slide onto a baking sheet layers and set a cutting board or heavy, flat pan on top to compress layers.  Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, melt chocolate in a microwave; stir until smooth.  Spread over top layer; allow to harden.  With a sharp knife, trim edges.  Cut into ½ inch strips across the width; then cut each strip into 4-5 pieces.  Store in airtight containers.           8 dozen

 

(Recipe for Rainbow Cookies was on www.tasteofhome.com, 2013)

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Neapolitan Bars

Neapolitan Bars

Neapolitan Bars

The colors of the season featured in this moist bars, which are layered with cherry and apricot preserves.   (This recipe is Diabetic Friendly!)

         Nancy Foust                                                       Stoneboro, Pennsylvania

 

Neapolitan Bars Recipe

Neapolitan Bar

1 cup butter, soften

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 to 2 drops green food coloring

1 to 2 drops red food coloring

1/3 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, patted dry

1/3 cup flaked coconut

½ tsp. rum extract

¼ cup cherry preserves

¼ cup apricot preserves

 

Line a greased 13×9 inch baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Divide dough in thirds.  Tint one portion green and one portion red; leave the remaining portion white.  Add chocolate chips to green portion, cherries to red portion and coconut and rum extract to white portion.  Spread one portion into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 F. for 7-9 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Immediately invert onto a wire rack and remove waxed paper.  Place another wire rack on top and turn over.  Cool completely.  Repeat with remaining portions, portions, preparing pan each time.

Place pink layer on a large piece of plastic wrap, about 30 inches long.  Spread with cherry preserves.  Top with white layer and spread with apricot preserves.  Top with green layer.  Bring plastic over layers.  Slide onto a baking sheet and set a cutting board on top to compress layers.  Refrigerate overnight.

With a sharp knife, trim ¼ inch from each edge.  Cut into bars.  Store in airtight container.         4 dozen

(Recipe for Neapolitan Bars came from tasteofhome.com)

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