Authentic Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe: A Delicious Burst of Color and Flavor (2024)

FAQs

Are rainbow cookies a thing in Italy? ›

While there is no direct analogue to rainbow cookies in Italy, Italian food historian Mary Taylor Simeti speculates that the Italian-American rainbow cookie is based on the tri-colored gelato di campagna, a nougat with the same colored layers.

While they're known as rainbow cookies, the name is a bit of a misnomer. Rainbow cookies don't feature all the colors of the rainbow. Traditionally, they have just the three colors of the Italian flag. That has also earned them the nickname tri-color cookies, Italian Flag cookies, or Neapolitans.

Rainbow cookies originate in Italy, but Italian Americans added the color scheme to celebrate their heritage. The yellow layer used to be a white layer, so you'd have the Italian flag.

Biscotti History

In medieval Italy, a variation of biscotti known as cantuccini was created in the Tuscan town of Prato. This version of biscotti was made with almonds and was typically enjoyed with a sweet dessert wine like vin santo.

For cookies, bars, cakes/cupcakes, biscuits, scones, or anything that needs a tender crumb, use Farina di grano tenero, 00. This is your “cake flour.” Nobody wants a chewy cake. For bread, I recommend starting off with Farina di Manitoba, grano tenero, 0; this is similar to standard American bread flour.

Biscotti Amaretti is the most famous Italian cookie of all. Made without flour or any added fat this almond macaroon is light, crunchy and intensely almond.

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

While you may not find rainbow cookies in Italy, it is authentically an Italian American creation. In the early 1900s, the recipe was created by Italian immigrants as a way to honor their country of origin.

Where are Italian rainbow cookies from? ›

Rainbow cookies originated in Italian immigrant communities of the United States during the 1900s to honor their native country. They are also called "tricolore" because of the resemblance to the Italian flag with white, red, and green layers.

With its dense sponge cake made with almond paste and layered with raspberry and apricot jam before being topped with melted chocolate, It's so delicious, it should be enjoyed all year long.

How about panforte? This is one of the oldest Italian desserts on the list, believed to date back to 13th century Tuscany.

The word biscotto, used in modern Italian to refer to a biscuit (or cookie) of any kind, originates from the Medieval Latin word biscoctus, meaning 'twice-cooked'.

Named after its traditional method of cooking, biscotti are generally baked twice, rendering the rather dried out and hard version associated with the cookie. This is why biscotti are often served alongside an espresso or vin santo as dipping helps to soften the cookie's texture.

No, they do not. Rainbow cookies are NOT Italian. They are Italian-American cookies. Tri-color cookies were created by Italian immigrants in the States as a way to honor their Italian heritage.

While you may not find rainbow cookies in Italy, it is authentically an Italian American creation. In the early 1900s, the recipe was created by Italian immigrants as a way to honor their country of origin.

Rainbow cookies were made popular in the late 1800's and early 1900's by Italian-American bakeries, particularly those found in New York City (think: De Lillo's or Cafe Ferrara). The cookie seems to be a product of cross-cultural assimilation. There's no counterpart to it in Italy.

These brightly-colored sandwich cookies line the windows of pâtisseries in Paris, and are often confused with the American coconut macaroon. No coconut. Instead, light meringue cookies made with almond flour and filled with ganache, curd or your favorite filling.