Rainbow Butter Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and almond extract until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and gradually beat in the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and place each in a separate small bowl. With gloved hands or a rubber spatula, use the food coloring to tint one piece red, one yellow and one green. Starting with the green dough on a piece of parchment, shape it into a rectangle that's about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide, using the parchment and a bench scraper to make the dough as rectangular and even as possible. Repeat with the yellow and red dough on separate sheets of parchment. Using the parchment to help lift the dough, carefully invert the yellow rectangle on top of the green, pressing gently to adhere. Remove and discard the parchment. Finally, use the parchment to carefully lift and invert the red rectangle on top of the yellow, pressing gently to adhere; remove and discard the parchment. Use the bench scraper to even out all the sides. Wrap the entire log of dough in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
• Trim the ends of the dough log with a sharp knife, then slice crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick rectangles. Arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and refrigerate until ready to bake, at least 15 minutes.
• Bake one baking sheet at a time until the cookies are just set around the edges and golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the chocolate icing: Once the cookies have cooled, combine the chocolate, cream and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir with a small silicone spatula until melted and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the raspberry extract; let cool 5 minutes.
• Dip each cookie at an angle into the chocolate icing and coat about one-third of the way up, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Once all the cookies are dipped, wiggle a small offset spatula through the chocolate coating on each to create ripples. Let set, about 35 minutes. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and gradually beat in the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.
• Divide the dough into 6 pieces: 2 large pieces (about 7 ounces each), 2 medium pieces (about 5 ounces each) and 2 small pieces (about 3 ounces each). Tint 1 large piece of dough red and the other orange, kneading the food coloring into the dough with gloved hands or a rubber spatula. Tint 1 medium piece of dough yellow and the other green. Tint 1 small piece of dough blue and the other purple.
• Using gloved hands, roll the purple dough into a 7-inch log (about 3/4-inch-thick) on a floured sheet of parchment paper; set aside. Using a rolling pin, roll out the remaining pieces of dough into rectangles on separate floured sheets of parchment paper, dusting with more flour as needed: 3 1/2 by 7 inches for blue; 5 by 7 1/2 inches for green; 6 by 8 inches for yellow; 7 by 8 1/2 inches for orange; 8 by 9 inches for red.
• Tightly wrap the blue dough around the purple log, keeping the dough in a log shape; pinch the seam to close. Continue wrapping the log with the dough: green, then yellow, orange and red. Wrap the whole log in plastic wrap; freeze until very firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the ends of the dough log, then slice into 3/8-inch-thick rounds. Slice each round in half. Arrange about 1 inch apart on 2 unlined baking sheets and refrigerate until ready to bake, at least 15 minutes.
• Bake, one pan at a time, until the cookies are just set around the edges and golden on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, put the candy melts in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe small clouds on the ends of each rainbow. Let set, at least 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar 2-3 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add almond paste; mix well. Gradually add flour, butter, salt and extract., Divide batter into thirds. Tint one portion red and one portion green; leave remaining portion plain. Spread one portion into each of three well-greased 11x7-in. baking dishes., Bake 7-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and edges begins to brown. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Place red layer on waxed paper; spread with 2 tablespoons jam. Top with plain layer and remaining jam. Add green layer; press down gently. , For glaze, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Spread half over green layer. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. Turn over; spread remaining glaze over red layer. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. , With a sharp knife, trim edges. Cut rectangle lengthwise into fourths. Cut each portion into 1/4-in. slices.

Steps:

• Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat butter until creamy.
• Add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Beat until well combined.
• Gradually, add the flour until dough is moist and holds together, but doesn't stick to your hands.
• Place dough on a cutting board and form into a ball. Cut in half, then cover one half with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Divide the other half into 6 pieces. The outer layers of the rainbow will need a little bit more dough, so make two of them slightly larger than the others.
• Dye the dough with food coloring by placing a ¼ teaspoon of dye on the ball of dough and kneading it until it is one solid color. Gloves optional but suggested.
• Starting with purple, roll the dough into a log about 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) long. This will be the center of the rainbow.
• Next, roll out the blue dough with a rolling pin until it's about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, slightly longer than the purple, and wide enough to wrap around the purple dough. Repeat with the green, yellow, orange, and red doughs. The further away from the purple you get, the wider the dough needs to be to go around the previous color, making the red dough the widest.
• Wrap the blue dough around the purple, pinching together any cracks that form, cutting off any excess dough. Repeat with the rest of the colors.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap, and cut the dough in half to make 2 rainbow shapes. Set aside.
• Cut the reserved dough in half, roll out to ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness, and make it slightly longer than the rainbow log.
• Place the rainbow dough in the center and wrap the plain dough around it, again, pinching together any cracks and smoothing out the surface.
• Repeat with the other halves. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
• Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap. Slice cookies about ½-inch (1 cm) thick and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the bottom has browned slightly.
• Cool on a cooling rack.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese and softened butter with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until well blended; scrape side of bowl. Beat in egg until smooth. On low speed, beat in cake mix until blended. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle tops of cookies with sprinkles.
• Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line three 9x13 inch baking pans with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, break apart almond paste with a fork, and cream together with butter, sugar, and egg yolks. When mixture is fluffy and smooth, stir in flour to form a dough. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into the dough. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Mix one portion with red food coloring, and one with green food coloring. Spread each portion into one of the prepared baking pans.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Carefully remove from pan and parchment paper, and cool completely on wire racks.
• Place green layer onto a piece of plastic wrap large enough to wrap all three layers. Spread green layer with raspberry jam, and top with uncolored layer. Spread with apricot jam, and top with pink layer. Transfer layers to a baking sheet, and enclose with plastic wrap. Place a heavy pan or cutting board on top of wrapped layers to compress. Chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.
• Remove plastic wrap. Top with melted chocolate chips, and refrigerate 1 hour, or until chocolate is firm. Slice into small squares to serve.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Once the dry ingredients are well mixed, gradually add to the creamed mixture.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal portions; tint each a different color. Roll each portion of dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper into a 9 inch by 5 inch rectangle. Freeze for 10 minutes.
• Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise. Lightly brush to top of one rectangle with egg white. Top with another colored dough. Repeat with remaining 4 dough portions so you have six alternating layers of colored dough. Press together lightly. Cut in half lengthwise again. Wrap each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the dough and cut into 1/8 inch slices. Place 2 inches apart ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool for 1-2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Divide dough into three portions; tint each a different color. Roll each portion of dough on waxed paper into a 9x5-in. rectangle. Freeze for 10 minutes. , Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise. Lightly brush top of one rectangle with milk. Top with another colored dough. Remove waxed paper; brush top with milk. Repeat with remaining dough, alternating colors to make six layers. Press together lightly. Wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. , Unwrap dough; cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. Cool for 1-2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Steps:

• Arrange 2 racks in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Make room in your refrigerator for 1 half-sheet pan. Grease 3 (13-by-9-inch) baking pans or quarter-sheet pans with cooking spray or a little oil, then line with parchment or wax paper. (This helps the paper stay in place.) Spray or oil the parchment.
• Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or with a hand mixer), or in a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer, break up the almond paste using a fork or your fingers. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract. Using the paddle attachment, beat on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through. Turn off the mixer, add a third of the flour and salt, then beat on medium-low until just combined. Repeat with another third, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, and continue until all the flour is added and incorporated. Transfer batter to a large bowl. Rinse and dry the mixing bowl.
• Add egg whites to the mixing bowl and beat on high speed with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, 30 to 45 seconds. Fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined.
• Remove one-third of the batter to one of the prepared pans. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the batter in the pan all the way to the edges. (This can get a little tricky, but have patience and take your time. The oil on the pan should help hold the paper in place, but if you're having trouble, hold the paper in place with one hand while you spread with the other.) Remove another one-third of the batter to a medium bowl and add a couple drops of green food coloring. Stir until blended, and add more to reach your desired shade. Transfer green batter to a prepared pan and spread evenly. Add a couple drops of red food coloring to the remaining batter, stir to combine, add more as needed, then transfer to the last pan and spread evenly. Firmly tap each pan on the countertop to release air bubbles.
• Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until the edges are barely browned, the tops are just set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Immediately slide cakes from the pans onto racks using the parchment paper. Cool completely.
• Using the parchment paper, slide the green cake onto a half-sheet pan. In a small saucepan, heat preserves over medium until loose, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Spread half of the preserves over the green layer, going all the way to the edge. Carefully flip the uncolored layer on top (use a large offset spatula to help), and remove the parchment paper. Spread with the remaining preserves. Top with the red layer and remove the parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and place another rimmed baking sheet on top of the cookies. Transfer to the refrigerator, then top with heavy cans so the weight is evenly distributed. Refrigerate overnight.
• Melt half of the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second bursts. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate on the top and to the edges, then refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Melt the remaining chocolate. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on a cutting board, then place on top of the cake and invert the cake onto the board. Spread the bottom with the remaining chocolate. Let cool for a few minutes, then use the tines of a fork to draw waves in the chocolate and add sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate until almost firm, but still slightly soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. (If you wait until the chocolate is fully set, the chocolate will crack when you cut.)
• Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry, then trim the edges and save for snacking. Cut the cake into 1-inch squares, running the knife under hot water and drying between cuts. Return to the refrigerator to set completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container with wax paper between layers. Allow to come to room temperature a bit before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Stir cookie mix, butter, flour and egg in medium bowl until dough forms. Divide dough evenly among 3 bowls; tint each dough by stirring in a few drops of desired food color.
• Shape 1/3 cup of each color of dough into a rope about 5 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Place ropes side by side and a little more than 1/4 inch apart on floured surface; roll until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch egg-shaped cookie cutter so each cookie has 3 colors. Sprinkle with sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. (When rerolling dough scraps, carefully lay matching colors together.)
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Spread frosting on bottoms of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

Steps:

• Grease the bottoms of three matching 13x9x2-inch baking pans (or reuse one pan). Line the pans with waxed paper; grease the paper.
• Place almond paste in a large mixing bowl; break up with a fork. Cream with butter, sugar and egg yolks until light, fluffy, and smooth. Stir in flour. In another mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into dough, mixing until thoroughly blended.
• Divide dough into three portions (about 1 1/3 cups each). Color one portion with red food coloring and one with green; leave the remaining portion uncolored. Spread each portion into the prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
• Invert onto wire racks; remove waxed paper. Place another wire rack on top and turn over. Cool completely.
• Place green layer on a a large piece of plastic wrap. Spread evenly with raspberry jam. Top with uncolored layer and spread with apricot jam. Top with pink layer. Bring plastic wrap over layers. Slide onto a baking sheet and set a cutting board or heavy, flat pan on top to compress layers. Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, melt chocolate in a double boiler. Spread over top layer; allow to harden. With a sharp knife, trim edges. Cut into 1/2-inch strips across the width; then cut each strip into 4-5 pieces. Store in airtight containers.