Cookies Starting with the Letter R: Rainbow Cookies, Ricciarelli, and Rusk

Let’s journey across the alphabet with cookies that start with the letter R. These cookies (or biscuits) will vary depending on the culture and region they belong to, but each is as delicious as the other. So, add any of these recipes to your baking repertoire and delight your taste buds. Introduce them to your friends and family, and expand their palate by bringing the unique flavours and cultural heritage of these cookies into your kitchen.

Rainbow Cookies (United States)

Ingredients:

• 280 gm unsalted, softened butter
• 4 eggs (separate the yolks and whites)
• 200 gm sugar
• 220 gm almond paste
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 250 gm almond paste
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp red food colouring
• ½ tsp green food colouring
• 340 gm apricot preserve (heat and then strain any fruit chunks)
• 200 gm melted Cadbury Bournville 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter a 13x9 inch baking pan, then line its bottom with parchment paper.
• Whisk the 4 egg whites in a stand mixer or with a whisk until you almost get stiff peaks, then add 50 gm of granulated sugar in batches. Keep whisking so you achieve glossy peaks.
• Whisk the almond paste with the remaining 50 gm of sugar, followed by all of the softened butter.
• Next add the yolks from 4 eggs, almond extract, and salt. Keep mixing until everything is well-combined.
• Finally, add all of the flour. You can sift it beforehand to remove any lumps.
• Divide the egg white and sugar into two halves. Fold in the first half and mix gently using a spatula. Then add the second half.
• Divide the completed batter into three bowls. Add the red food colouring in one bowl, followed by green in the second one. The last one will remain plain.
• Transfer the red cake batter into the prepared pan, ensuring it is spread evenly. Bake it for about 8 to 10 minutes. Once done, let it cool.
• Then repeat this process with the green and plain batter.
• Once all the cake layers are cool, it’s time for assembly. Spread the apricot reserve on the green layer, then invert the plain layer and cover it thinly with the preserve too. Invert the red layer on top of it. Cover it with cling film, put a heavy weight on it and let it refrigerate overnight.
• The next day let the cake come down to room temperature and melt Cadbury Bournville 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate for the frosting.
• Evenly spread the chocolate just at the top red layer and pop it in the fridge for half an hour.
• Once the frosting has set, cut into bite-sized cookies.

Ricciarelli (Italy)

Ingredients:

• 260 gm ground almonds
• 200 gm powdered sugar
• 2 egg whites
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 1 tbsp lemon zest 

Instructions:

• Whisk the egg white till you achieve stiff peaks, then gently fold in the almond extract and lemon zest.
• Sift the powdered sugar and ground almonds in a large bowl.
• Ensuring that you don’t deflate the egg whites, fold in the dry ingredients into the meringue.
• Give this a few gentle mixes until well-combined and you will get your cookie dough. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
• Next, preheat the oven to 190 C and invert the dough onto a flat surface dusted with icing sugar.
• Roll it into a log that’s about 40 centimetres long. After that, cut about 2 centimetre thick cookies. Give them an oval shape, or if you’re lazy leave them round.
• Place them onto a parchment lined baking day and before popping them into the oven, give them a dusting of icing sugar which will caramelise evenly once cooked.
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes. The cookies will seem soft and underdone, but will harden as they cool down.

Rusk (India)

Ingredients:

• 375 gm flour
• 3 tbsp milk powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 5 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ½ tsp ground fennel
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 300 ml water
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

Instructions:

• Mix together flour, milk powder, salt sugar, ground spices and oil in a bowl.
• Take some warm water, then add sugar and yeast. Once the mixture is frothy, you’ll know the yeast has bloomed. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add this into the flour mix and along with the remaining water until you achieve a pliable dough that’s not sticky or loose.
• Put it in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and put it away for an hour in a warm corner of the house so that it can double in size.
• Punch the air from the risen dough and transfer it into a baking tin that’s been greased with some butter or oil. Let the dough rise again for half an hour.
• Until then preheat the oven to 180 C.
• After the dough has been proofed for a second time, brush it with milk and put the tin in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
• Remove once done and let it cool. Then extract the bread from the tin and slice it into rectangles.
• Arrange the slices on a baking sheet.
• Reduce the oven’s temperature to 130° C and bake the slices for half an hour. Then crank the temperature to 200° C and bake until they gain a golden brown colour.
• Once done, let them cool before enjoying them with your cup of masala chai.