July 7, 2006

Rainbow cookies

by IsaChandra

My friend Erica requested (as in demanded) that I make a vegan rainbow cookie and so I set out on what I thought would be a simple little day of baking. These innocent looking cookies put me through hell. The dough was near impossible to work with so after lining three pans with it and then realizing that my pans were way too big for the amount of dough I had, I had to scrape sticky dough off of parchment paper and reuse my brownie pan 3 times. And of course my natural green food coloring didn't work, but I tried even though I knew it wouldn't. So these are yellow.

For those unfamiliar with the beauty that is the rainblow cookie, it's layers of cakey marzipan, spead with a little raspberry jam and coated in chocolate. It should be the colors of the Italian flag but these – I'm not sure what flag this could be. You can get them at most Italian bakeries in Brooklyn, and actually many Jewish bakeries have them as well these days. I guess they stopped trying to fight it and became one culture. They're also called “tri-color” cookies, but I grew up calling them rainbow so that's what I call them. I'd love to know a little about their history or if they are actually even made in Italy, I get the feeling they originated in Brooklyn, though.

Anyway – I present you with the vegan rainbow cookie!

Vegan Rainbow Cookie

7 Comments
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  • December 6, 2007 at 11:39 am: Teresa

    Hi. I know you posted your vegan rainbow cookies about 1 1/2 years ago, but I just found them now. I’d love to know how you did it (please, please!). I’ve been making the regular version for at least 15 years now. I’ve got it down to a perfect science, and my whole family loves and looks forward to them each Christmas. The last couple of years we’ve changed our eating habits in my home. I want to be able to make rainbows for my husband, kids and self too. I don’t even know your name, if you’re stilll out there, or if you’re reading this message. If you are, please answer this email!!!!! Your picture of the cookies came great!

  • December 17, 2007 at 11:03 am: Pamela

    Isa..please update and post recipe!

  • April 16, 2009 at 11:43 pm: Heidi

    I will be making a raw version of the Rainbow cookie this week and I’ll let you know how it goes!

  • September 8, 2009 at 1:16 pm: Jessica

    Hey! I know this recipe is from a while back but I have been searching everywhere and in between for a vegan Rainbow Cookie recipe. I’ve even experimented with altering a non-vegan recipe. No success yet! If you could send me your recipe I would be sooooooo greatful!!!
    Thanks,
    Jessica
    jessikahaze@gmail.com

  • July 26, 2010 at 4:01 pm: rainbow riches

    perfect for snacks…kids were surely love this rainbow cookies..any recipe for this and more stuff?

  • August 18, 2010 at 12:40 am: Mastering Public Health (@MasPublicHealth)

    Agreed; the recipe for this would be appreciated. Short of that, I am considering giving the recipe from Gourmet magazine, as featured on the “Smitten Kitchen” blog, a vegan-ized whirl myself.