Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Seven Layer Cookies

Seven Layer Cookies (Adapted from Gourmet)

4 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
8 ounces almond paste
20 tablespoons 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
12 ounce jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
7 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Preheat oven to 350

Coat a 9 x 13" baking pan with nonstick spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving about a 2" overhang on 2 sides.

In a large mixing bowl, beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating at high speed until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks. Scoop out whites to another bowl and cover - set aside.

Using the paddle attachment and the same bowl, beat together almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until thoroughly combined. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks, one at a time, and mix until well combined. Mix in almond extract. Add flour and salt - mix just until combined.

To lighten the base, gently mix half of egg white mixture into almond mixture. Fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Evenly distribute batter between 3 medium bowls. Gently mix red food coloring into one and green food coloring into another, leaving the third bowl plain. Set white batter aside. Cover the green batter and place in the refrigerator. Scoop red batter into prepared baking pan and use an offset spatula to evenly spread it over the bottom - it will be a thin layer.

Bake red layer just until set - about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook.

Remove from the oven and carefully use the parchment overhang to transfer the baked layer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes.

Clean pan and prepare it again just as described above. Scoop white batter into prepared baking pan and use an offset spatula to evenly spread it over the bottom.

Bake white layer until just set - about 8 to 10 minutes. While this layer bakes, remove the green batter from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.

Remove white layer from the oven and carefully use the parchment overhang to transfer the baked layer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes.

Clean pan and prepare it again just as described above. Scoop green batter into prepared baking pan and use an offset spatula to evenly spread it over the bottom.

Bake green layer until just set - about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove green layer from the oven and carefully use the parchment overhang to transfer the baked layer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes.

When all layers are completely cool, carefully invert green onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Remove the layer of parchment on the back and spread with half of preserves. Invert white on top of green layer and remove the layer of parchment on the back. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert red layer on top of white layer and remove the final layer of parchment.

Cover with plastic wrap and place a large baking pan on top to weigh the layers down. Place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours.

Remove weight, plastic wrap and let the layers come to room temperature. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Keep chocolate over water.

Trim a small amount of the edges from the 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 parchment 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.

Cut lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut strips crosswise into 3/4" wide cookies.

Just found the recipe? Click here to see where we talked about it!

5 comments:

  1. wow i cant wait to try these!

    ReplyDelete
  2. these are AMAZING. I make them every year for our annual Christmas Open House. And then do them in Pink, White and Red around Valentine's Day. They are the hit of the party and the family

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE these cookies! They're a must in this Italian family! I'm gonna try your trick of frosting the top and refrigerating this time...I usually cut them into strips and frost each strip...how do you say WHAT A MESS in Italian? Your way will be SO much easier. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. We have been making this cookie for years and have yet to find someone that does not like them! Every time we ask our grown kids what cookies they want for Christmas, the Neopalitian cookie it the first to be mentioned. The original recipe that we have was for the microwave, but with having to make so many of them we changed over to bnaking in the oven.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yep- we had that same microwave recipe and adapted it for the oven. I make triple batches in hug sheet cake pans. I use both apricot and seedless raspberry preserves in mine. Perfect every time. Even better than Italian Bakery ones.

    ReplyDelete