Adapted recipe from Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi of New York City’s Torrisi Italian Specialties
I made these rainbow cookies pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month. My girlfriend hosted the cutest all-pink luncheon on Friday to celebrate our mutual friends who have survived breast cancer. So, on a celebratory note I decided to make these adorable, and quite amazing, if I do say so myself, rainbow cookies. My girlfriends loves Italian cookies so I thought let’s make them special. Let’s make them pink.
When we lived in New York City we would go to Torrisi for dinner. This was a much visited restaurant, long before before the gluten/dairy free part of our life when it was just one kiddo. Then one day I came across the Torrisi recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine, and off to the store I went in search of gluten free almond paste (sold here).
I gave it a shot and adapted the recipe. Watching the batter and taking meticulous notes, I put them into the oven.
And adapted well they did. They came out perfect, in all their gluten free, dairy free goodness! I knew it was a risky move to try a new recipe for a big event, but it’s not the first time I have, and it certainly won’t be the last (wink, wink!). Luckily, I always have my back-up-super-hero recipes when in need 🙂
If you love the flavor of almonds and chocolate, you will attack these rainbow cookies. Yes, these cookies are a bit of a process, and yes you do need to made them ahead before serving, BUT they are so worth it. The cookies, in all their pinkness are the real deal when it comes to flavor and texture. Make them again in green, red, and white for the holidays and knock their socks off.
The cookies were adored by all of the ladies as we ate and shared our stories about the things we struggle with, or have struggled with, in our lives. Somehow sweets make everything better, no?
For all the women out there who battled the fight against breast cancer, this sweet little cookie is for you. Fair warning: it may be hard to stop at just one. Go ahead, have a few and enjoy!
For more information on breast cancer awareness visit:
http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month
Makes about 50 small rectangular cookies 2 inches long
Ingredients:
Will Need: Three 13x9x2 inch baking pans and a food scale
2 cups Earth Balance Soy Free Spread PLUS 1 tablespoon for greasing pans
6 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup PLUS 1 cup sugar
12 ounces almond paste (not marzipan), chopped (I use GF/DF Love ‘n Bake)
1 cup brown rice flour (I use all Bob’s red Mill Flours)
3/4 white rice flour
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup PLUS 1/4 cup tapioca flour (or starch)
1 1/2 teaspoons natural red food coloring (I use India Tree)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup jam (I used mixed berry, any jam you like), heated, strained if it has seeds
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven temperature to 350 degrees F
Line the 3 baking pans with parchment paper, leaving 2 inch overhangs. Grease with the 1 tablespoon of spread. Set aside.
Put egg whites in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium high; beat until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly, avoiding the whisk, add 1/3 cup sugar (leave the 1 cup remaining for later), beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a large bowl; cover and chill.
In a medium bowl, combine all the flours, whisk to mix well. Set aside.
Change whisk attachment to a paddle attachment, beat almond paste with the remaining 1 cup sugar on medium speed until incorporated, about 3-4 minutes.
Increase the speed to medium high; gradually add 2 cups spread. When all spread has been added raise to high speed. Beat about 2 minutes, or until fluffy. Add yolks, then flour blend. Fold in chilled whites in 2 additions. Divide the batter in 3 small bowls. Use the scale to weigh the batter to ensure that each layer will bake identical.
Note: For weighing batter – place the empty bowl (you are about to pour some batter into) on the scale and press zero. Then add eyeball an amount of batter that looks like a third. Repeat for all three bowls, making note of the weight. Then add any remaining batter evenly, as needed.
Add 1 teaspoon red food coloring into the first bowl; mix well. Add 1/2 teaspoon to second bowl; mix well. Leave the last bowl plain. Spread batter from each bowl into each of the baking pans.
Remember to gently fold in chilled egg whites.
Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until just set. 10-11 minutes. Let it cool completely in pans.
Assemble:
With a pastry brush, spread half the heated jam (strain if there are pieces of fruit or seeds) on the dark pink (1st) layer of cake.
With the lighter pink (2nd) cake still in it’s pan, hold the overhang paper back and raise the pan up to line up along the longer side of the 1st layer; quickly drop 2nd layer directly over 1st. If it didn’t align perfectly gently shift, the jam helps to easily shift the layer. Gently lift off the parchment paper; spread the remaining jam onto the 2nd layer.
Repeat the quick drop with the 3rd cake (sounds like a thump!). Cover the layers with parchment paper then with aluminum foil. Weigh down the cake layers by placing one of the used baking sheets directly over the cake with some weight; I used a box of salt and cans of beans to compress the cake layers.
Refrigerate overnight.
Remove weight, foil and parchment paper from the cake layers.
Melt chocolate in a glass or heatproof bowl over a saucepan with simmering water (water should NOT touch the bowl), stirring often. (You can also microwave though I haven’t so you might want to do it in 1 minute intervals until fully melted) Take off heat when melted, 2-3 minutes. Let it cool 5 minutes before spreading. With a frosting spreader, spread half of the melted chocolate over the cake.
Freeze for 10-15 minutes. Then cover with parchment paper, invert the baking sheet on top of the cake and flip the cake over. Uncover, and glaze with remaining chocolate. Freeze an additional 10-15 minutes.What it looks like out of the freezer.
Trim edges (and eat before anyone else does!). Using a very sharp knife, or an Exacto knife (just to cut into the chocolate so it doesn’t crack off the cake) and cut 2 inch wide strips lengthwise, then 1 inch size crosswise. Store in an airtight container. These also refrigerate well for 1 week (if they last that long).
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