seven-layer cookies

eclaire note: i’m in the middle of final exams right now, but luckily one of my dearest friends offered to share a guest post with you! i’m continually inspired by katie’s cooking and baking, so you’re in for a treat, dear readers. enjoy!

7layer#9

Hi my fellow eclaire readers.  As a long time friend of Emilie’s and a reader of her blog, I thought since Emilie is in the midst of finals and I was making my favorite holiday cookies now would be a good time for a guest post.  These seven layer (rainbow) cookies are my favorite holiday cookies because they meet all my requirements for a great holiday cookie:

  1. They are a little labor intensive so you won’t make them year round
  2. Not everyone makes them
  3. They taste great
  4. They look festive

7layer#1 7layer#27layer#3

I can’t remember when I first heard about these cookies but I do remember that I had some great ones at an Italian bakery on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx when Bryan (my husband) and I went to visit his family a few years ago.  I am pretty sure these cookies are a staple at Italian bakeries on the East coast but here on the West coast they are hard to find and we are forced to make our own.

7layer#4

This year I wanted to try a different recipe and found one from Gourmet posted on Smitten Kitchen.  This recipe took me several days to make, although much of the time was just waiting for things to cool but it was totally worth it because the almond, apricot and chocolate combination is wonderful.

7layer#5

So I hope this Elf season (this is what Emilie calls this time of year since it is acceptable to watch the movie Elf on repeat) you are able to find the time to put on a little Sam Cooke (or any other music you prefer) and make these cookies.

one year ago: polenta rancheros
two years ago: brazil nut encrusted seitan

7layer#7



Seven-Layer Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen cookies or more
From Gourmet, December 2005 via Smitten Kitchen with my notes below
Time: These take at least 11 hours from beginning to end, most of it inactive, but make sure you have a good 2 to 3 hour window

  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 (8-oz) can almond paste **
  • 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 25 drops red food coloring
  • 25 drops green food coloring
  • 1 (12-oz) jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
  • 7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
  • Special equipment: a small offset spatula, a heavy-duty stand mixer if you have one; a hand-mixer should work as well
    ______________________________
  1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line bottom with wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 ends, then butter paper.
  3. Beat whites in mixer fitted with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks. Transfer to another bowl.
  4. Switch to paddle attachment, then beat together almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and almond extract and beat until combined well, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and salt and mix until just combined.
  5. Fold half of egg white mixture into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly (you can skip the whole separating the eggs part but it will make the cookies denser).
  6. Divide batter among 3 bowls. Stir red food coloring into one and green food coloring into another, leaving the third batch plain. Set white batter aside. Chill green batter, covered. Pour red batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with offset spatula (don’t worry if it seems like you don’t have enough batter because each layer will be really thin).
  7. Bake red layer 8 to 10 minutes, until just set (watch them closely I have burnt my layers before because they are so thin).
  8. Using paper overhang, transfer layer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Clean pan, then line with parchment or wax paper and butter paper in same manner as above. Bake white layer in prepared pan until just set. As white layer bakes, bring green batter to room temperature. Transfer white layer to a rack. Prepare pan as above, then bake green layer in same manner as before. Transfer to a rack to cool.
  9. When all layers are cool, invert green onto a parchment or wax-paper-lined large baking sheet. Discard paper from layer and spread with half of preserves.** Invert white on top of green layer, discarding paper. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert red layer on top of white layer and discard wax or parchment paper.
  10. Cover with plastic wrap and weight with a large baking pan. Chill at least 8 hours.
  11. Remove weight and plastic wrap. Bring layers to room temperature. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Keep chocolate over water.
  12. Trim edges of assembled layers with a long serrated knife. Quickly spread half of chocolate in a thin layer on top of cake. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and place another baking sheet on top, then invert cake onto sheet and remove paper. Quickly spread with remaining chocolate. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.***
  13. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips.
  14. Cut strips crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide cookies.

Do ahead: Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks. They’ll keep even longer in the freezer.

Important notes:

* My market only sells almond paste in 7 oz tubs and I was not about to spend another $8 on 1 more once of almond paste so I made mine with 7 oz and they turned out fine.

**Make sure the preserves are still warm as they will be easier to spread and make sure you put enough on.  I was worried about putting enough on and was too conservative so the cookies came out a bit drier then I would have preferred.

***I froze mine overnight to make them easier to cut.

4 thoughts on “seven-layer cookies”

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