Rainbow cookies are an Italian American classic, especially in the New York tristate area. They are a bit of a labor of love, but they are worth it. My Grandma Rosemarie made them every Christmas, and they were something we always looked forward to. Grandma’s were cakier and had a chocolate buttercream frosting on top rather than the traditional hard chocolate shell, which was delicious, but I sometimes longed for a differentiation in texture.
When I was writing this book, my sister Christiana (the biggest rainbow cookie fan) and I put our heads together to figure out how we could tweak Grandma’s recipe to make it even better. After several trial runs and taste tests with my sisters and my employees, I got it. They are super moist but still have that subtle denseness from the almond paste, and there is both apricot and raspberry jam - because why choose? The tart, sweet notes of raspberry and the slightly floral essence of apricot both complement the almond beautifully.
This recipe makes about 35 cookies (though you can cut them to any size you would like), and when sealed in a container, you will find that days later they are still perfection - maybe even better than the day prior.
Chef and baker Danielle Sepsy, founder of the New York City bakery The Hungry Gnome, shares her version in her debut cookbook, The Scone Queen Bakes, out March 24 from Alfred A. Knopf.
Italian Rainbow Cookies
30
minutes10
minutesMakes about 35 cookies.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 sugar
8 oz. 8 almond paste (Solo is preferred)
24 tbsp. 24 (about 12 oz. or 3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. 2 pure almond extract
1 1/2 tsp. 1 1/2 pure vanilla extract
4 large 4 eggs, separated
2 cups 2 all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. 1/2 baking powder
1/2 tsp. 1/2 fine table salt
1/2 cup 1/2 buttermilk, either whole or low-fat
7 oz. 7 seedless raspberry jam
7 oz. 7 apricot jam
red, green and yellow food coloring (or whatever color you prefer)
cooking spray
Directions
- Position the middle and bottom racks and preheat the oven to 350°F (or 325°F on the convection setting).
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the sugar and almond paste together for 2 to 3 minutes to break up the almond paste.
- Add the butter and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes.
- Beat in the almond extract and vanilla.
- Then beat in the egg yolks one at a time until smooth and combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing on low speed until just combined.
- In a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk (or in a bowl using a hand mixer), beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add half the beaten egg whites to the batter and fold them in
- Fold in the remaining beaten egg whites being careful not to overmix.
- Ideally, using a kitchen scale to ensure even baking and even layers, weigh the batter.
- Once weighed, divide it into 3 equal portions and place each in a separate bowl. (Note, if you don’t have a scale, you can also use a cookie scoop to divide the batter the best you can.)
- Put about ¼ teaspoon food coloring into each bowl of batter: green in one, yellow in the other, and red in the last. Gently stir in the dyes but don’t overmix.
- Coat three 9 × 13-inch quarter-sheet pans with cooking spray and then line them with parchment paper.
- Spray the top of the parchment paper lightly as well and then spread each color batter evenly onto each separate pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until just set.
- Let the cakes cool slightly in the pans, 15 to 20 minutes.
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From The Scone Queen Bakes © 2026 by Danielle Sepsy. Photo by Nico Schinco. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Danielle Sepsy shares more of her baking on @ChefDanielleSepsy or @thehungrygnome.
In the mood for more cookie recipes? Explore more of Appetito’s favorite cookie recipes.
