ITALIAN VENETIANS COOKIES

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Grease three 9x13x2 inch baking pans, line with wax paper and grease paper.
3. Break up paste in a bowl with fork. Add butter, sugar, yolks and extract. Cream with mixer. Beat in the flour and salt.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form Fold into the almond mixture. Remove 1 ½ Cups of the batter and spread evenly into one of the prepared pans.
5. Remove another 1 ½ cups and place in a small bowl; add the green food coloring to this bowl. Blend in coloring and spread into the second prepared pan.
6. Add the red food coloring to the remaining batter. Blend in the color and spread batter into the third pan.
7. Bake each pan in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the edges become slightly brown.
8. When baked, turn immediately our on wire rack to cool and remove wax paper.
9. When cold place pink layer on a tray. Heat preserves and strain. Spread half of strained preserves on top of the pink cake.
10. Top with the yellow layer and spread remaining strained preserves over top. Cover with green layer.
11. Cover with plastic wrap. Weigh cake down with heavy cutting board (or something similar) and refrigerate overnight.
12. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Trim cake edges even. Cut cake crosswise into 1 inch strips. Frost pink and green sides of strips with the chocolate. Set on side until chocolate gets firm. Cut strips into smaller pieces.