29 Dec NYE Treats: Strawberry Champagne Rainbow Cookies

Strawberry Champagne Rainbow Bars

The traditional italian tri-color rainbow cookies with chocolate frosting were always one of my favorite treats growing up. In light of the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebration, I’ve decided to add a bubbly twist to it. Taking the base ingredients of the traditional Italian Rainbow cookie, I’ve created a NYE edition with strawberry champagne jam.

Ingredients for Strawberry Champagne Jam:

1 package fresh strawberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup champagne

Ingredients for Rainbow Cookies:

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter softened and cut into pieces

2 cups all-purpose flour

8 oz. almond paste

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs, separated

1/2 teaspoon salt

Red or pink food coloring

1/2 cup champagne

Strawberry Champagne Jam (Recipe below)

1 pound white chocolate chopped

Directions:

Strawberry Champagne Jam: Take a medium saucepan, add champagne, lemon juice, and strawberries (cut stems off strawberries). Once the pan is boiling, slowly add the sugar and continue to stir over the heat for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and store in a glass jar, let it sit for a few hours in order to settle.

Cookie Directions: Butter and flour three 9x12in rimmed baking sheets and line bottom with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Make batter: Combine almond paste, 3/4 cups plus 2 tbls spoons sugar in a stand mixer with paddle attachment. (Should mix to fine crumbles). Beat in 2 1/2 sticks butter a little at a time. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Beat until smooth.

Sift 2 cups flour, add salt. Add both to mixing bowl and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites with hand mixer until foamy. Add 2 tbl spoons sugar and whisk until firm peaks form. Fold 1/3 into batter with rubber spatula. Once combined, fold in the rest.

Divide the batter evenly among three bowls, color two bowls with red or pink food coloring until desired color.

Transfer batter to the three pans. Use an offset spatular dipped in hot water to spread batter to the edges of the pans. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. Once you take them out, liberally brush the champagne on each layer using a pastry brush. Let completely cook in the pans on wire racks.

Once cool, take one of the colored layers, liberally spread the strawberry champagne jam all the way to the edges. Invert the white caked layer and carefully place on top (use an offset spatula to help). Using a pastry brush, brush the top of this layer again with champagne then top with jam. Add the final colored cake layer to the top of the white layer. Saran wrap the cake (cake should still be in the pan). Place another jelly roll pan on top of the saran wrap and weigh down with cans. In the step we are trying to compress the layers. With the cans on top, refrigerate for 4+ hours.

After refrigerating, remove saran wrap and invert cake onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut of the edges of the cake to make smooth, clean sides. Melt chocolate using a double boiler or a bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Spread chocolate on top of cake using an offset spatula to smooth. Apply colored crystal sprinkles. Let chocolate set for a minute or two, then cut with sharp knife into 6 strips on the long side and then again into 8 strips on the short side of the cake. If the chocolate is too hard to cut through, run the knife under hot water.

Enjoy + Happy New Years!!

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