7-Layer Italian Cookies--Perfect for Showers and Wedding Sweet Tables

Photo courtesy of: http://myitaliangrandmother.blogspot.com/

What Italian wedding or shower would be complete without these beautiful cookies?  Although they take some time to make, the patience is well worth it in the end.  This recipe is from a fellow blogger, Michele at her great blog, My Italian Grandmother, where she shares great recipes with you.  Take the time to browse her blog for other great food ideas.

Rosemarie's 7-Layer Cookies

1 ¼ cup flour
3 eggs (large)
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons almond extract
2 sticks (melted butter)
1 jar apricot butter or preserves or seedless raspberry preserves
6 oz. bag of semi sweet chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon of oil
Red and green food coloring

3 pans 11x7x1 ½ or approximate size

Mix in bowl with electric mixer (if desired), flour, sugar, almond extract,
eggs, melted butter. Separate into 3 bowls evenly. After which you leave one bowl plain, in 2nd bowl add 8 drops of red and the last bowl add 8 drops of green coloring. Then in greased pans (or parchment lined pans) pour mixture so it covers all of the pan evenly. Bake for 10 minutes at 350.  Remove from oven, on wax paper on foil, first turn over green layer, coat lightly with apricot, then white layer over that and coat with preserve. Last red layer melt chocolate in pot with 1 tablespoon of oil. Coat one layer with chocolate, refrigerate until hard then turn over wax paper or foil. Coat second layer, let it get hard then cut and slice.

Enjoy!  Share with your friends and family!

Cake Balls

Cake Balls (decorate in colors to match your theme)

Ingredients (Makes 36)

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 (16 ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting
1 (3 ounce) bar chocolate flavored confectioners coating

Directions

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended. Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

These are easy to make, don't need a lot of ingredients, and the only time consuming part is decorating them.

This web site sells the chocolate confectioner's coating that you need for this recipe, your local craft store probably carries it as well. You can buy higher quality chocolate coating but it's more difficult to work with. http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/candies/chocolate.htm . Your local craft store or Sugarcraft will also sell the candy cups to place your chocolate balls in for display purposes. They come in a variety of colors.

Pesche or Italian Peach Wedding Cookies

Rustic peach wedding cookies called pesche are a beautiful additon to and Italian theme wedding. While they take a bit of work to put together, the oohs and ahs from your guests make them well worth the work.

The recipe makes 15 cookies. Remember, even if you're having 100 guests you don't need one cookie per person if you are making an assortment of cookies. You can make this recipe in larger quantities once you decide it's perfect for you weddding cookie table.

Pesche or Italian Peach Wedding Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup chopped almonds
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons instant tea powder
2 1/2 tablespoons brandy
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup red decorator sugar
1/2 cup orange decorator sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).

Combine sugar, oil, milk, eggs, baking powder and vanilla in large bowl. Blend in enough flour to form a soft dough. Roll into walnut size balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cookies will be pale. Remove to rack to cool. Hollow out cookie center. Reserve crumbs. Combine 2 cups crumbs, preserves, almonds, cream cheese, instant tea powder, brandy and cinnamon. Mix to blend. Fill cookies with crumb mixture. Press 2 cookies together to form peach. Brush lightly with brandy or water and dip one spot in the red sugar for blush and roll entire cookie in orange sugar. Top with a icing leaf or purchase the plastic peach leaves.

You don't want to know the nutritional info on these, trust me!