March 8, 2021
I’ve been eagerly waiting for March Madness to start this year because of how well Michigan has been doing in basketball. In anticipation of the exciting games about to unfold this month, I’ve been testing out my version of a maize and blue layered cookie, a take on the rainbow cookie or seven-layer cookie. Rainbow cookies are a classic treat served in bakeries throughout New York City. Growing up in New York, I’ve always been enamored by the array of innovative, beautiful, and tasty treats offered at eateries throughout the city. It seems like almost every other day, there is a new food trend popping up at a shop in the city. A classic treat I’ve always been amazed by found in almost all of the Italian bakeries throughout New York is the rainbow cookie. It features layers of red, white, and green almond cake adhered together by a delicious raspberry or apricot jam and coated in a chocolate glaze. The stunning cookies draw you in with their eye-catching colors. One bite into the ultra-sweet almond cookie and it hooks you in. It’s incredibly hard to eat just one of these sugary gems. Before I know it, I’ve eaten one too many of these sweet treats. Every bakery throughout the city seems to have its own version of the Italian cookie. The common flavor profile across the board is an intense almond flavor. When I moved to the Midwest, I started to miss a lot of the beloved foods I used to easily access in the city – including those beloved cookies. If I wanted a rainbow cookie, I had to place a special order online to get them shipped to my home. After a few orders, I just could not justify the cost of the cookies plus shipping. A couple months ago, I set out to make my own version of the rainbow cookie with a twist. Instead of the traditional red, white, and green layers, I opted to make a maize and blue version featuring the colors of my alma mater. All rainbow cookies have to have a fruit jam to help adhere the different cake/cookie layers. I chose to use apricot jam as a delicious way to adhere the cookies together and further emphasize the maize color. During my testing phase for these cookies, I baked up a few batches to enjoy as Kevin and I watched Michigan soar through their basketball season (most of the time). I even tested out a red, white, and blue version featuring white and blue cookie/cake layers and raspberry jam used to adhere the cookie/cake layers together. I reserved the red, white, and blue version to bring to a small goodbye gathering for a friend who took a new job in another city. The maize and blue version was reserved for Kevin and I to enjoy throughout Michigan’s basketball season. With March Madness almost here, these cookies will be the perfect treat to cheer on our team.
For the maize and blue layered cookies:
(makes 12 cookies)
· ½ cup granulated sugar
· ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
· 3.5 ounces almond paste
· 2 large eggs
· ½ cup all-purpose flour
· blue gel food color
· yellow gel food color
· apricot jam
· ¼ cup white chocolate
· ½ tablespoon refined coconut oil
· maize and blue sprinkles or sprinkles of your choice (optional)
Directions:
1) In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter. Add in the almond paste and blend until incorporated. Add in the eggs, one at a time and mix until combined. Gently sprinkle in the flour. Continue mixing until all ingredients are incorporated.
2) Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Use a sheet of foil to divide the sheet pan in half. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3) Divide the batter in half. Add a couple drops of yellow gel food color into half of the batter. Add a few drops of blue gel food color into the other half of the batter. Spread the yellow batter onto half of the sheet pan. Spread the blue batter onto the other half of the sheet pan. Once the oven has reached 400°F, transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 13 minutes.
4) Let the cookie layer cool for at least 30 minutes before assembling the maize and blue cookies.
5) Use a knife to divide each of the cookie layers in half. Start by spreading a thin layer of apricot jam on one of the blue layers. Top with one of the maize layers. Spread another layer of apricot jam. Continue until all layers are assembled. Wrap up the stacked cookie layers using a sheet of parchment paper. Press the cookie layers down using a slightly heavy container (such as a yogurt container). Chill the stacked cookie layers in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
6) Cut the chilled stacked cookie/cake layers into individual pieces of cookies. Set aside.
7) Melt white chocolate with the refined coconut oil. Spread a thin layer of the white chocolate glaze on the tops of the cookies. As an optional step, top with the maize and blue sprinkles or sprinkles of your choice.
Takeaways: The cookie/cake layers can be easily customized to fit any color combination. In my testing phase, I’ve made different versions of cake/cookie combinations including a red, white, and blue version featuring a white and blue cookie/cake layer and raspberry jam for the red color layer. If there are any leftover cookies, I like to store them in an airtight container and pop the container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
