Italian Layer Cookies

I was so positively sure that I could not make these cookies, that I waited an entire year before giving them a try. I had bookmarked the recipe at epicurious.com, but after reading the instructions and almost every review contributed, I became hesitant. Nearly everyone who spoke of these cookies had varying experiences and suggestions. My head was spinning, and I didn’t know whose 2 cents would be truly valuable.

With the impending cookie exchange, I wanted an impressive contribution and these came to mind once again. It was time, I thought, to waste an afternoon and possibly a can of almond paste.

I wasn’t totally committed until I found this recipe on Taste of Home‘s website. The instructions seemed to be condensed, or simplified, if you will. It is missing the chocolate layer on the bottom, but I could live without that. Everything else is consistent with the aforementioned recipe from Epicurious.

I have a couple of suggestions for those who have these on the Christmas cookie roster:

  • Use more food coloring than specified in the recipe. I used about 1/3 of my bottles of red and green. This makes them so very vibrant and festive, and it is a traditional Italian Christmas Cookie, after all. Why use less?
  • I used SK‘s suggestion to freeze the layers after the chocolate had been applied and allowed to set. This will make cutting them into pieces much, MUCH easier, and the chocolate will not smear across the beautiful layers.

They turned out picture perfect and delicious in every way. I was also thrilled to find that they were not difficult to make. Time consuming maybe, but so worth the effort.

Several people have commented that these have the flavor of a chocolate covered cherry. The almond paste’s unique flavor has way of tricking the taste buds. If this sounds appealing to you, try it out for yourself! It’s not as daunting a task as it appears to be.

P.S. These cookies go by many names: Venetians, Rainbow Cookies, 7 Layer Cookies and Tri-Color Layer Cookies.

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Sue
Sue
14 years ago

Mmmmm, all the ingredients sound so good, especially the almond paste:) I love the bright colors! These look so festive, I'd love to get some in a cookie exchange:)

Jeannie
Jeannie
14 years ago

Yum-yum!!! Hey, I'm doing a recipe challenge I'd love you to be a part of if your able.. :o)

http://jadedwishes.blogspot.com/2009/12/recipe-challenge-sunday.html

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

These look divine! Wish I had the extra time/money to make them! For now I'll stick to my generic chocolate chip cookies 🙂

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13 years ago

how funny looks those cookies, with colors of national italian flag included, I am so wonderful to see this during my life I have never seen those. however is so amazing cookie to have on our table to enjoy for anyone.

Erin
Erin
13 years ago

We made these cookies for our family and friends this year. They are amazing! the only change to your recipe that we made was to add more chocolate (never a problem, right?) We put the chocolate layer on one side, waited for it to harden, then flipped it over and put more on the bottom. Then we used a pizza cutter to make strips, and then coated each side of those strips in chocolate too. Using a offset spatula, there was a nice thin crisp layer of semisweet chocolate on 4/6 sides, that made this cookie look cute and delicious.… Read more »

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

When my Italian grandfather walked through the door every Sunday morning with pastries and a tray of cookies, these were my "go to, gotta have" cookie! I managed to get the recipe from a relatives relative who owned an Italian bakery in NJ, and have made them ever since. They are always the cookie that disappears first. My recipe is so similiar, yet I think a tad bit easier. It calls for 1/2 cup less butter, and no extra almond extract. If you use Solo* brand (I use no other) you don't need the extract. I have learned a few… Read more »

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

I also use salted butter, and do not add salt to recipe. And when I make the cuts w/the chef's knife, I actually do measure and use a ruler to mark off the cuts. I make them about 1/2 wide by 1 1/2 inches long. We eat the scraps that are cut off in the beginning from all the uneven edges. The line starts forming as they see me cutting 🙂 LOL

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

I add a little butter and corn syrup to the melted chocolate and spread this on the squares. The chocolate will not break or crumble when you slice the squares.

I also use homemade almond paste.

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

I'm so glad that I came across this recipe. My mother used to make these when I was a little girl and she lost her recipe. I will be making these this year for Christmas. Thank you for sharing!!!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Oh my goodness… wonderful childhood memories are flooding back! I think I just found this year's cookie exchange recipe.

🙂
ButterYum

häjni
häjni
11 years ago

These are also Hungarian cookies!! 🙂 But I will prepare this to my Italian friends

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

i make a spumoni cookie at xmas, which looks a little similar but uses a very basic dough (no almond paste here) as a jumping off point. it's just divided and colored/flavored differently. green=pistachio, red=candied cherry, white= vanilla and brown=chocolate. everyone loves them… especially me!

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11 years ago

I will love this to have it. I would like read more information about this, is very interesting! Thanks for the information. A worth bookmarking blog. I would be reading your articles regularly from now on.

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

Rainbow cookies are also popular at Passover time. I've had to purchase them to ensure they are kosher in the past, but now that I have this recipe in front of me, I may be able to tweak it to make homemade.