Rainbow cookies can be fun for any occasion, from birthday parties, traditional Italian get-togethers and even celebrating pride. This fun design is sure to cheer up the appearance of any cookie platter. As New York City’s leading vegan restaurant group, City Roots Hospitality takes joy in spreading inclusive, creative meal options throughout our great city. Whether you feel like stopping by any of our gorgeously designed restaurants or are hoping for a crowd-pleasing catering option, you’ll find what you need with City Roots.
We are paving the way to a greener, more compassionate future! To learn more, explore any of our catering menus below, visit our website, or contact us today.
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Vegan Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe
Traditionally, this layered Italian dessert is dyed to represent the three colors of the Italian flag: green, white, and red. With just a few adjustments, however, you can easily turn this classic sweet into something better representing your truest self!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of almond paste
- 1 cup of apricot preserves
- 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal
- 9 tablespoons of water
- 2 tablespoons of almond milk
- 2 1/4 cups of flour
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 1/2 cups of vegan butter
- 2/3 cup of vegan extra dark chocolate
- Vegan food coloring (colors vary)
Instructions
- To begin this dairy-free recipe, make your own “flaxseed eggs.” Combine your flaxseeds and water, stir thoroughly, and allow to solidify in the refrigerator until the mixture has reached the desired consistency. This typically takes around fifteen minutes.
- As the flaxseed eggs cool, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, break apart your almond paste with your hands. Add sugar, then mix with an electric mixture until combined. The resulting mixture should have the texture of rough sand.
- Add softened vegan butter and flaxseed eggs, then mix on high for another three to five minutes.
- Lower your mixing speed to the lowest setting and carefully add flour. Once all the flour has been successfully combined, raise your mixing speed to medium for another five minutes, or until all ingredients have been thoroughly combined. Add half your apricot preserves, then mix until you have created a thick, creamy batter.
- Divide your batter into separate bowls, then dye according to whichever colors you most want to include. Though this cookie typically has only three layers, feel free to get creative!
- Pour each dyed batter into a separate baking pan, and cook. Depending on the number of layers you choose to incorporate, cooking time may vary. For those with the traditional three layers, this should take no longer than fifteen minutes.
- Once cooked, spread a thin layer of your remaining apricot preserves over each fully cooled layer. Carefully assemble your cookies by stacking each dyed layer over the next into a single pan. Place this in the refrigerator and allow it to cool no less than three hours.
- Melt your vegan chocolate, then drizzle over the top of your vegan rainbow cookies. Cool, slice into squares, and enjoy your finished creation!
A Word on Vegan Food Coloring
Before you break out the mixer and pans, it may be best to double check that your dye truly is both vegan and cruelty-free.
The truth behind whether food coloring can truly be considered vegan is complex. Unless specifically described as a “natural dye,” most food coloring is created using a harsh combination of chemicals and petroleum. While these may be technically “vegan,” they also require a strict background in animal testing.
Bottom line: if your food coloring lists ingredients with numbers– like “blue 1” or “red 40”– or carmine, which is created using crushed beetles, you may want to look elsewhere.
For an easy guide on how to create your own natural vegan food coloring at home, check out this food coloring guide from Beyond Sushi, one of the leading restaurants in the City Roots Hospitality family!
Celebrating with the City’s Best
No matter how you celebrate, do so in style with help from City Roots Hospitality!
Allow us to elevate your next date night with help from any of our innovative restaurants, or order in to treat yourself to a cozy meal at home. Each restaurant in our family, from world-renowned Beyond Sushi to the brand-new Italian cuisine at Coletta, is entirely vegan and designed with global flavors in mind.
For information about how City Roots Hospitality can cater your next event, reach out today for a quote!
