Tri-color cookies - the twelve hour project

This is it.  You could say I saved the best for last.  This is the recipe I've been most excited and apprehensive about making this holiday season.  The truffles and toffee were great items I made for the first time this year but I've been working my way towards this:  tri-color cookies.  I always called them tri-color or rainbow cookies but they're also known as seven-layer cookies, Venetian cookies, and maybe by other names too.

When I eat these, I think they might just be my very favorite cookies.  But I think calling them "cookies" is a bit of a misnomer and doesn't quite give them their proper respect, if you will.  To me, they're more like petite fours, or mini cakes.  These Italian goodies have been a long favorite of mine.  I think I first tried them many years ago when I was an intern somewhere and picked one up from a dessert platter after a meeting...it made me go wow!  (It seems all my memories involve food in some way). 

Not only are they nice to look at, they are a combination of some of my favorite flavors, almond and chocolate.  Essentially, we have 3 layers of cake made from a base of almond paste (which I adore), fused together by thin spreads of apricot preserve, and topped with coatings of bittersweet chocolate.  It is so delicious.

But look at it.  The prospect of making these was daunting.  There are a lot of layers and steps to mess up!  But you never know and never learn unless you try, and it was time to try.  I call this the twelve-hour project because from start to finish, it takes roughly that much time to get the finished product into your mouth.  A lot of it is waiting (chilling in the fridge) but you still need to devote a good 3 hours or so on your feet.  And if you're like me and only have one 13 by 9 inch pan, you need to bake the layers one at a time and prep the pans after each use.

The best place I know of to get these tri-color cookies is Ferrera Bakery in NYC's Little Italy; they are just about perfect there.  You can see their cookies below and they taste just divine.  I know we'd all prefer not to use food coloring but if there's ever a time to use it, it's here.

Tri-color cookies from Ferrera Bakery in Little Italy (NYC)

So how do the homemade ones stake up against the ones from Ferrera?  To tell you the truth, when I finally had the layers chilling in the fridge, I thought they would turn out too dense, too dry, and just not worth all the effort.  (Did I mention it takes roughly 12-hours to make and put these together?)  But miraculously, I was wrong!  These are amazing!  The layers didn't come out as even or quite as thick as the ones from Ferrera but the taste is spot on. 

If you like these cookies, this is the recipe to use.  My family and I love these; the little one is a big fan and we let him taste first.  His verdict was "they're really good" and "they taste like the ones from the bakery".  Time to jump for joy!!  It really is fantastic, in both texture and taste.  There's plenty of almond flavor from the moist cake layers and a nice chocolate crunch from the top and bottom layers of dark chocolate.  The apricot filling gives it just that bit of tartness that balances everything out.  So to summarize, the effort was not wasted but vastly rewarded.  I see myself making these at Christmas and when I just can't resist the hankering for them.  I better stock up on almond paste.

Well...this kitchen elf is signing off for a bit.  I have lots of presents to wrap and I'm off to enjoy the holiday break with my family.  I've made quite a few old and new recipes this month and I expect to stay busy in the kitchen in the coming days, whipping up one or two favorites.  When Christmas comes, I'll be ready to sit still and savor the moment. 

I wish you all a very happy holiday! 

Update: I love these cookies so much, I experimented and turned them into mini cupcakes.  Take a look at tri-color cookie cupcake bites - they are faster to make!