Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 33 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- One 8-ounce can or one 7-ounce tube almond paste, crumbled
- 1 cup butter (no substitutions), softened
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 drops red food coloring
- 4 drops green food coloring
- 1/3 cup heavy or whipping cream
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate squares, chopped
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves, melted
- Decorative icing
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil. Lightly coat with vegetable cooking spray; dust with flour.Pulse sugar and almond paste in food processor until paste is broken up into small pieces. Transfer to large mixer bowl. Beat in butter, scraping bowl with rubber spatula, until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Stir in flour. Divide batter evenly into 3 bowls.
Tint 1 batter pink (red) and 1 green with food colors. Evenly spread one batter into bottom of prepared pan. Bake 11 minutes, until top springs back when gently pressed. Carefully lift foil and transfer cake layer to wire rack to cool. Repeat two more times, lining pan with foil and baking remaining batters.
Meanwhile, make glaze: Microwave cream and chocolate in small microwave-proof bowl on high 1 minute; stir until smooth. Let cool until slightly thick, about 30 minutes.
Invert each layer, peel off foil, then invert each layer again, top side up. Brush half of the apricot preserves over green layer; top with white layer and gently press. Brush remaining preserves over white layer; top with pink layer and gently press. Spread cooled glaze over top. Let stand 30 minutes for glaze to set.
With serrated knife, trim edges. Cut crosswise into six 2-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip into 12 slices. Decorate as desired.
Makes 6 dozen cookies.
