Rainbow Cookies
Three times a charm! I can’t say getting these delicious confections perfectly raw and vegan was easy. While getting the flavor profiles of the rainbow cookies was pretty simple. Finding the right thickness and getting the color right was a bit of a challenge.
Italian Pignoli Cookies cookies are my dad’s favorite, rainbow cookies are my mom’s. So of course I had to make them. The layers of flavor from each bite are nothing short of heaven. I’m really patting myself on the back for nailing this recipe.
I definitely took the hard road when it came to coloring. I grated beets, ground fresh turmeric and added chlorophyll. Don’t do what I did! Why the hell I didn’t just purchase natural food coloring I can’t begin to fathom! Seriously, it’s made of the same damn thing without the mess. I stained my fingers, clothes, utensils and my countertop by grating. The chlorophyll and beet have zero flavor, but the turmeric adds a slight flavor. Once it’s assembled you won’t taste it at all. The same goes for the chocolate, I tasted a hint of coconut (from the oil) but Marie said she didn’t taste it at all.
RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Rainbow Cookies
Cake Base
*the ingredients are per color, you will need to do this 3 times, once for each color. Colors are red (beet juice), yellow (turmeric or saffron) and green (chlorophyll or spirilina). Use whatever works for you, or buy an organic, raw-vegan coloring.
1 cup almond meal
1/8 cup golden maple syrup (medium or light works, dark syrup changes the flavor)
1 tsp almond extract
2 tblsp filtered water
3 – 5 drops of color (add a little at a time until you get the desired color)
Mix ingredients with a fork until it forms a dough. You can spread it out into a 1/4″ thickness and an 1-1/2″ long by 3/4″ wide and score it into rectangles. Or form each one by hand. They are very moldable. It’s important for them to be uniform. I did them by hand because I needed to take the picture and make them look good. Otherwise, I would have cranked them out on a sheet. Place in dehydrator at 115 degrees for two hours, turning over half way. You only want them a little dry on the outside and soft on the inside.
*if the dough is too sticky just add more almond meal a tblsp at a time.
Raspberry Jam
1 basket fresh raspberries (you can use frozen if you have to)
1/8 cup pulverized raw sugar
1 tblsp filtered water
Smash the raspberries with a fork and mix in sugar. Place in a heat safe bowl (if it’s microwave and dishwasher safe it should be good. Never use metal as it’s reactive with the acid in the berries). Place in dehydrator at 115 degrees for about 5 hours, mixing every hour.
*berries may need more time depending on water content. It should be syrupy and jam like in consistency.
Chocolate
1 cup raw cacao powder
1/8 cup golden maple syrup
1/8 cup coconut oil
Mix all ingredients together and place in a microwave safe bowl. You can temper the chocolate in the dehydrator if you want but I placed the bowl over hot tap water. Since it does not heat the chocolate above 115 degrees and you don’t need it that hot to keep it melted enough to work with, this is the fastest and best method. Work the chocolate until the coconut oil is incorporated and it becomes smooth and shiny.
Assembly
Layer the cake pieces filling each layer with raspberry jam. Usually layered red, yellow in the center and green. Using a small spatula, coat the layers with the chocolate keeping the coating relatively thin.
Place in the refrigerator and allow the chocolate to firm up for at least an hour. Because it’s not really cake it will keep in the refrigerator and taste just as good up to a week later as it did the day you made it.
Should yield a dozen cookies give or take.
