Venetians

(Don't let the length of this recipe scare you away, it's actually quite easy, and produces a very sophisticated looking cookie!

Ingredients


1 can (8 oz.) almond paste	2 C. all-purpose flour, sifted		

1 1/2 C. butter, softened	1/4 t. salt

1 C. sugar			10 drops green food coloring 

4 eggs, separated		8 drops red food coloring

1 t. almond extract		1 12oz jar apricot preserves

				2 squares semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9" x 13" baking pans, line with wax paper, grease again. Break up almond paste in a large bowl with a fork. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks, and almond extract. Beat with electirc mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in flour and salt. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. With a wooden spoon, fold into almond mixture. blending well.

Remove 1 1/2 C. batter and spread evenly into a prepared pan. Remove another 1 1/2 C. batter and add the green food coloring, spread evenly into second prepared pan. Add red food coloring to remaining 1 1/2 C. batter and spread in third pan. Bake for 15 minutes or just until edges are golden brown. (Cakes will be 1/4" thick). Remove cakes from pans immediately onto large wire racks. Cool thoroughly.

Place green layer on jelly-roll pan. Heat apricot preserves; strain. Spread 1/2 of the warm preserves over green layer to edges; slide yellow layer on top; spread with remaining apricot preserves; slide pink layer, right side up, onto yellow layer. Cover with plastic wrap. Weight down with a large wooden cutting board or heavy plate and place in refrigerator overnight. Melt chocolate over hot water in a small cup. Spread to edges of cake; let dry 30 minutes. (Resist the urge to use more than 2 square of chocolate, it will cause the tops of the cookies to crack when cut). Trim edges off cake and cut into 1" squares or diamonds.


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