Rainbow cakes are also known as Neapolitan cookies, Tri-color cookies, or Italian Rainbow cookies. A rainbow cookie consists of three layers of colored almond cake sandwiched together. The cookie is sandwiched together with raspberry jam before coating the top with a layer of chocolate. Take note that most rainbow-colored confectioneries can be regarded as rainbow cookies.
Let’s assume you made this awesome cookie for Thanksgiving, and you went over the top and made a little bit too much. Sure you could keep them in an airtight container for about two weeks, but you need to keep them for longer than that. What do you do?
Can you freeze rainbow cookies? Yes, you can. Rainbow cookies have ingredients similar to that of a normal cake, so they are freezer friendly. Rainbow cookies will stay at their best quality in the freezer for 4 to 5 months.
The preparation for rainbow cookies is labor-intensive and that might be another reason why you would consider freezing. If you can freeze them, you can prepare them ahead and not have to go through the stress of making them all over again.
How to Freeze Rainbow Cookies
Freezing rainbow cookies is pretty easy. You don’t need any special skills or need special equipment to carry them out. All you need to do is to be meticulous about the freezing process so that the cookies don’t get affected by air or get freezer burnt.
Step 1: Cut The Rainbow Cookies
After baking each layer and sandwiching them with your raspberry jam, you place a weighted tray on the sandwiched layers to help keep them from separating. Coat the top of the cookie with a layer of melted chocolate and square it into the sizes that you want to cut them into before the chocolate hardens.
Squaring the chocolate before it hardens will help you prevent it from cracking when you want to cut it after it has hardened. Once you have had it squared into the desired sizes, you can place the chocolate into the refrigerator so that the chocolate can harden on time.
When the top layer of the chocolate hardens, you can cut them into smaller pieces. Cutaway the edges of the cookie that must have browned from the baking in the oven.
Step 2: Wrap Each Piece of Rainbow Cookie
This a measure that would help you keep the air away from your rainbow cookie. If you have a truly airtight container, you might not need to wrap the cookies.
Wrap the cookies in plastic wrap. Double the layers so that no part of the cookie is exposed to the harsh conditions in your freezer. Then you can finish it off with a layer of aluminum foil and it is ready to be frozen.
Step 3: Storage and Freezing
Shallow and airtight freezer containers would be best for freezing your rainbow cake. Place the individually wrapped pieces of rainbow cake into the shallow Tupperware container and seal it shut.
The shallow containers would help you reduce the amount of air trapped in the container after you seal it.
You can also use Ziploc freezer bags if you do not have Tupperware containers. But, for extra protection wrap the already wrapped piece of rainbow cake in aluminum foil before you place it in the Ziploc freezer bag. Press the bag flat to expel excess air before you freeze.
Before you place the stored containers into the freezer to freeze, label them with their contents and the date of the freeze. This would help you keep account of what you have stored, and also help you keep track of how long you have stored them.
How to Defrost Frozen Rainbow Cookies
Rainbow cookies can be eaten while still frozen or left to thaw overnight in the freezer.
Rainbow cookies feel more like a cake rather than a cookie. But the hard exterior of the chocolate makes it harder to cut into like a normal cake. So the cookies are cut into small pieces that you can throw into your mouth and eat all at once.
How Else Can You Store Rainbow Cookies?
Other than freezing, how else can you preserve rainbow cookies for a short while?
Rainbow cookies can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can store them in layers in a flat container and put a sheet of wax or parchment paper in between each layer to keep them from sticking together.
You can also keep your cookies in an airtight container and store them in a cool place in your kitchen for about two weeks. You have to be careful about keeping your cookie in the refrigerator because they can dry out quickly making the chocolate crack and turn grey.
How to Recognize Spoiled Rainbow Cookies
The length of time that cookies can spend before going bad is dependent on a lot of factors. Cookies that have gone bad or stale would have a hard texture if they were soft while still fresh. You might also notice an odd smell or appearance. If you notice this in your cookie, then you should throw them out.
There are health risks that can be associated with eating spoiled food, so you should make it an obligation to eat your food before they are past their shelf life.