I live in Brooklyn. Italians are like Starbucks- they're EVERYWHERE. (And I say that with love because Italians are wonderful.) Before I moved to NY, I had no idea what Italian Rainbow cookies were but now having lived here for nearly ten years, I'm happy to report that I have a close and admirable relationship with the colorful cookies. For those who are not privy to these old school delights, Italian rainbow cookies are often multi-colored (duh) and bursting with almond flavor. There are endless reiterations and everyone has their own unique twist to bring to the party. And here's mine: I made them into donuts. Bomboloni=delicious, rich little Italian donuts. The dough is ridiculously easy to put together although take note, it does require some proofing time. Once thrown together, it takes mere minutes to cook, cool, and drizzle your heart away. Buon appetito.
Bowl of a standing mixer:
2 tablespoons dry active yeast
2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups (245 grams) bread flour
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup (55 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Small plate:
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature and cut into chunks
On the sidelines:
Rainbow drizzle, recipe as follows
1
In the bowl of your standing mixer, combine all ingredients. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and knead the dough for about five minutes. This dough is pretty soft- don't expect it to form a smooth ball. Scrape down the side as needed.
2
Place a piece of parchment paper down on your work surface. Scrape the dough onto the top of the parchment and then place an additional piece of parchment paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 3/4 of an inch. Slide a cutting board underneath the paper and place in the fridge for two hours.
3
Remove the dough from the fridge. Using a small, circular cutter, stamp out little circles of dough. Sprinkle some flour on a new piece of parchment paper and place on top the little circles of dough. Cover and let proof at room temperature for two hours.
4
Filling a saucepan or large pot with a few inches of vegetable or canola oil. Attach a candy or frying thermometer to the side and place over medium-high heat. Bring to about 340 degree F.
5
Drop a few pieces of dough into the hot oil. Turn as needed. Cook until golden brown and puffy- about two minutes. Remove and let drain on a cooling rack or some paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough.
6
Once the donuts have cooled, drizzle with the rainbow glaze and let set. Devour.
Italian Rainbow Drizzle
Medium bowl:
2 cups (225 grams) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon whole milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
1
Whisk all the ingredients together.
2
Divide the glaze into three small bowls. In each bowl, add your food coloring and whisk. I chose red, yellow, and green because that's pretty traditional.
3
If so inclined, you can use piping bags to drizzle out the glaze. If not, using a fork or spoon, (or ziploc bag!) will work just beautifully.
