Vegan Italian Rainbow Cookies and Homemade Almond Paste Recipe (2024)

Ingredients

Almond Paste:

• ¾ cup almonds, blanched
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons aquafaba, (liquid from chickpeas)
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract, optional, for extra flavor
• 1 pinch salt

Cookies:

• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 7 ounces almond paste, about ⅔ cup
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 cups non-dairy milk
• 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅔-3/4 cup apricot jam
• 1 ½ cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Instructions

For the almond paste:

1. Place the almonds in a food processor and process until they start to release their natural oils and become crumbly and "wet" looking, 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the paste collects into a ball.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 8x8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
2. Combine the sugar, extracts, and almond paste in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment. Mix until smooth, then gradually mix in the canola oil.
3. Pour the apple cider vinegar in the non-dairy milk and let sit until it curdles, 2-3 minutes. Soy milk will curdle the most, so don't worry if it doesn't visibly curdle if you're using a different milk.
4. Gradually pour the milk mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring constantly.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the batter, stirring after each addition, until just combined. Do not overmix.
7. Evenly divide the batter into 3 bowls. Dye one of the dough portions green, and another red. Leave the third plain.
8. Transfer the doughs into the three prepared pans, and smooth the tops.
9. Bake for 17-18 minutes, until springy. Remove from oven and let cool completely on wire racks.
10. To assemble, spread a thin layer of apricot jam on top of the green layer while still in the pan, then remove the plain layer from its pan and place on top. Spread a layer of apricot jam atop the plain layer, and then top with the red layer.
11. Line a cookie sheet or cutting board with parchment paper, then invert the pan of cakes atop the parchment to remove from pan (the bottom of the green layer should be on top).
12. Cover the cake with plastic wrap, then top with a cookie sheet and evenly weigh down with heavy items in your fridge (cartons of milk and big leftover containers are good). Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
13. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Slice the edges off so you have a perfect square.
14. Place the cake on a wire rack, and place the parchment-lined cookie sheet underneath the rack.
15. Melt the chocolate with the shortening in a double boiler or microwave, until smooth, then pour over the cake, smoothing the top and sides with a spatula. Let set at room temperature.
16. Once the chocolate is set, cut the cake into rectangle cookies, 1 inch or so wide.

Notes

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.