Italian Tricolor Cookies

Heat oven to 350°F. Line three 12”x 8”x 1” baking pans* with foil, leaving extra overhang. Spray each with non-stick baking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In the bowl of a mixer, add the olive oil, milk, eggs, amaretto liqueur, almond extract and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly among 3 bowls. Add the red coloring to one bowl and stir to incorporate fully. Do the same with the green coloring in another bowl. The third bowl will remain without coloring. Spread one bowl of each batter into each of the prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating pans halfway through until set, about 11-15minutes. Let cool in pans.

Using a pastry brush, spread half of the jam over the green cake. Lift the plain layer out of the pan using the foil overhang and invert over the plain layer. Remove and discard foil. Spread the remaining apricot jam over the plain layer. Lift the red cake layer out of the pan and invert onto the plain layer. Remove and discard foil.

Cover the entire cake with fresh foil. Place one of the cleaned baking pans on top of the cake and weigh down with a few heavy canned goods to compress the cake. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours to overnight.

Uncover cake and transfer to a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Using an off-spatula and working quickly, spread half of the chocolate over the cake in a thin layer. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Cover this chocolate side with waxed paper and place an inverted baking pan on top and flip the cake. Remove the bottom foil and spread the remaining chocolate over the cake. Freeze for 10 minutes to set the chocolate. Let it sit out for a couple of minutes then, with a large sharp knife, trim away ½" from all sides of the cake (see Chef's Tip!) Cut across into six 2" wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into ½" cookies making 96 cookies. Store in airtight container for up to a week.

Chef's Tip: To slice these up very professionally, use the longest knife you can find and run it under hot water for a minute. Wipe it dry and carefully slice into the cakes. Repeat this hot water rinse between each and every cut. This will ensure clean edges and the chocolate won't crack.

*If you cannot find this size, the disposable aluminum pans are readily available. Be sure to place them on a larger firm baking sheet to keep the baking cake as even as possible.