Colorful layered bar thought by many to be Italian, but in actuality is an Italian-American creation (see note*, below). They were invented by Italian immigrants in New York, and while they are a staple in Italian bakeries in the US, they are not a tradition in Italy. They’re created with three layers of green, white and red almond cake, with jelly separating the cakes and chocolate on the top and bottom. This gives rise to their other name: “7 Layer Cookies”. They are known by several other names; see note** below. The colors represent the Italian flag.
Ingredients
8 ounces macaroon or almond paste
1-1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs (separated)
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 drops red and green food coloring
1 (12 ounce) jar of apricot jam or jelly
1 pound semisweet chocolate
Directions
- Grease three 9 x 13-inch baking pans (if you don’t have 3 pans, bake them one at a time). Line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Combine macaroon paste, sugar, butter, egg yolks and almond extract. Beat for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in flour and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. With a wooden spoon, fold into the almond mixture.
- Divide dough into three 1-1/2-cup portions. Add red coloring to one of the portions, and green to another, stirring until mixture is evenly colored.
- Spread the batter in the three separate prepared pans (keeping the colors separate). Bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. (Each layer will be 1/4 inch thick). Remove cakes from pan immediately. Cool thoroughly.
- Stack layers in a 9 x 13 inch pan, spreading apricot jam between layers (no jam on top layer). Place second 9 x 13-inch pan on top and weigh down with two 5 pound bags of sugar or flour. Refrigerate overnight.
- Melt chocolate over hot water and spread over cake. Allow to set somewhat. While chocolate is mostly set but still soft enough to cut cleanly, trim edges and cut into small squares or bars.
Notes
- * Several authoritative texts exist regarding the history of this so-called “Italian” cookie. For your perusal:
– Get to Know the Rainbow Cookie (Eater, Washington DC)
– The rainbow (cookie) connection (The Hanford Sentinel)
– A Closer Look at Your Italian Bakery’s Cookie Case (Serious Eats)
– Italian Rainbow Cookies (Savoring Italy) - ** Previously listed on this site as “Venetian Layered Cookie Bars” and “Venetian Rainbow Cookies”. Also known as Italian flag cookies, Napoleon cookies, seven-layer cookies, seven-layer cake, tri-color cookies, or Venetian cookies.