November 21, 2006
A guide to Rainbow Cookies
Rainbow cookies – a delight that I haven’t been able to find in California. They used to be more commonly available in New York, but not as much anymore. I have seen them in Boston though.
Here are two pictures of rainbow cookies from the Shop and Stop near my parents. (They’re not found at all Shop and Stop locations.) It’s $7.99 a pound and this is what they look like:
Here are some cookies from Saint Honore Pastry Shop in Port Washington. They’re $10+ a pound (I think):
The ones from Saint Honore are distinctly lighter, but I do like the chocolate sprinkles on the Stop and Shop ones.
If you live in the West Coast, maybe you can order them from Bruce’s.
18 Comments to “A guide to Rainbow Cookies”
November 23rd, 2006 at 3:28 pm
Those rainbow cookies look fantastic. I wonder if they taste good too. I think that ones from Port Washington are the best.
November 29th, 2006 at 6:30 pm
ah! another new yorker who knows the joy of rainbow cookies! all of our family functions are not complete without them…
but i’ve got a question. there are these cookies that my family has dubbed “death cookies” for their unhealthiness, but they are addicting and light and delicous and melt in your moouth-ish while still being fluffy. they have sprinkles in different colors on top or else chocolate chips on them, and they are kind of shaped like a drop flattened out and with ridges. do you or anyone else know what they are called? i won’t see my family for awhile, so i can’t really find out on my own from them. i saw them on an italian cookie site, but they were mixed in with a bunch of others so i couldn’t tell what they were. please, in the name of cookies, help!
November 30th, 2006 at 1:05 am
I’m tempted to say that they’re simply called butter cookies – but I’m not 100% sure…
December 21st, 2006 at 5:19 pm
Oh yes, the best cookie ever… I’ve been looking for a recipe or somewhere to buy them off the internet. My mom grew up in New york and absolutely loves these cookies so I’ve been trying to get her some for Christmas or even her birthday which is in Febuary…
Know of any ideas???
May 1st, 2007 at 2:31 pm
I love the rainbow cookie since childhood. I grew up in Queens, NY in the 60’s and 70’s and have corroboration that the cooies used to have 5 colors- blue and brown in addition to the pink, yellow and green. Anyone else remember those?
May 1st, 2007 at 2:35 pm
That’s blaspehmy!
June 28th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Here in NJ – just a few mi. outside of Manhattan, I’ve found that Jewish/Kosher bakeries call them “Rainbow Cookies” while Italian bakeries call them “Tri-Color Cookies”.
One note of caution, some bakeries use apricot jam to fill the layers, while others use – my personal favorite – raspberry jam.
…..for a price, there are online sites that sell rainbow cookies (I’ve seen them as much as 2 lbs. @ $52). The cheapest online site – $10.99 for 12oz. – I’ve located is a Kosher supermarket in Brooklyn.
It’s: https://www.aviglatt.com/
June 28th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
- the link to the Brooklyn supermarket which I had posted above, I should have specified the exact page.
Here it is: https://www.aviglatt.com/Products.asp?intCatalogID=417&LikeProduct=R
September 22nd, 2007 at 2:47 pm
cookieoutlet.com has them. $7.99/lb. Rainbow cookies are the best ever. We live in the midwest and we can’t get them here. We always bring them back after a visit to NYC or Florida. If in Fla, Way Beyond Bagels on Jog Road in Delray Beach (near Boca) has the best. They are the big bars! YUM! In NYC they have them everywhere, even 7-11’s!
Also, try googling 7 layer cookies (Chocolate-1, green cake-2, raspberry jam-3, yellow cake-4, apricot jam-5, pink cake-6, chocolate-7) That’s what some italian bakeries call them.
September 22nd, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Hah. It cracks me up that they’re available in Florida. Not particularly surprising I guess – given the migratory behavior of so many New Yorkers.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
If Fla cracks you up regarding Rainbow cookies, how about Snellville, Ga. They have them in Publix supermarket, several times a year….My born in the South son likes them….
December 1st, 2007 at 11:46 am
They are Neopolitan cookies. They’re not any more unhealthy than any other sweet. They are made with almond paste and apricot jam. There are many recipes for them on line.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Does anyone know where we can get a resipe for these rainbow cookies?
January 6th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
“They have them in Publix supermarket, several times a year”
Oh this is so not true, sorry for calling you out on it. They may look like the real thing but nobody that really knows would continue after the first bite.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
New York Italian girl here who’s been making these for years.
Enjoy the recipe!
1 can (8 oz.) almond paste
3 sticks butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp almond extract
6 to 8 drops red food coloring
6 to 8 drops green food coloring
10 oz. seedless red raspberry jam
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Grease the bottoms of three matching 13×9x2 baking pans (or reuse one pan). Line the pans with waxed paper; grease the paper.
Place almond paste in a large mixing bowl; break up with a fork. Cream with butter, sugar, egg yolks, and almond extract until light, fluffy and smooth. Stir in flour.
In another mixing 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 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 cookie sheet and set a cutting board or heavy, flat pan on top to compress layers. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day, melt chocolate in a double boiler. Spread over top layer; allow to harden. With a sharp knife, trim edges. Cut into 1/2-inch strips across the width; then cut each strip into 4-5 pieces. Store in airtight containers.
April 19th, 2008 at 7:59 am
I just made these cookies last week for my family. These are the easiest cookies to make. In order to make a rich moist and flavorful cookie you must use the best quality ingredients! Anyone who eats these cookies knows they are made with love…
1 Cup Butter softened (2 sticks butter)
1 Cup Sugar (may also be cut to 3/4)
4 Large eggs, Separated
8 oz. Pure Almond Paste. No substitutions for ‘flavored” paste!
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
2 Cups Sifted Flour
Food Coloring (Red, Yellow,Green)
1/4 Cup Seedless Raspberry Jam or preserves(I prefer Polaner’s brand)
1/4 Cup Apricot Jam or preserves (I prefer Polaner’s brand)
1 12oz bag Nestles Tollhouse Morsels.
Most recipes call for 13×9x2 pan. I use a jelly roll pan 13×9x1 lined with Parchment paper. (No Greasing Required)
In an electric mixer(med speed), blend almond paste, butter, sugar, yolks, and almond extract until fluffy. Slowly stir in flour.
In another bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold into paste mixture.
Separate mixture into three bowls (approximately 1 1/3 Cups of batter in each). Add about 6-8 drops of red to one bowl, green to another and yellow to the next. Mix with a spoon until color is evenly blended.
Spread mixture onto parchment paper using back of a spoon to evenly spread over parchment paper. Batter will be a thin layer and does not rise during baking.
Bake each sheet separately at 350 for 10 minutes. Cake should have a spongy appearance no signs of browning or you create a hard, dry cookie.
Remove parchment with cake and let cool. Add new paper to pan and repeat.
Spread raspberry jam on green cake. Top with yellow cake. Spread Apricot on yellow cake, top with red cake. Cover with used parchment paper for 1 hour at room temp. top with a heavy book or pizza stone works well (something heavy to press layers).
In a double boiler, melt a bag of chocolate morsels. Spread melted chocolate on top and sides and let cool at room temp. Do not refrigerate or the chocolate will crumble when you cut it. When chocolate is set use a very sharp knife to cut 1 inch squares.
Cookie sheets may be frozen and used for up to 2 weeks. Cut into squares when needed. Just let cookies come to room temp before serving. Helps keep from drying.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
These are my favorite cookies ever.
I was born in Queens, NY and that’s where i’ve had the best ones. They were in Bayside and the bakery was called Slims. Of course now, it’s taken over by new management and the last time I visited there the cookies weren’t quite the same.
July 26th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
You can order them online from http://www.babka.com. That is the company that supplies them to Zabars in NYC
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