Rainbow Venetians

If you are looking for a beautiful, scrumptious dessert tray item, this is it. It's a little time consuming, and worth every minute you put into it! Especially nice in the springtime because of the colors. Prep time includes refrigeration time. I got this from Family Circle Encyclopedia of Cooking.

• Ready In: 9 hrs 15 mins
• Yields: 72 bars

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) can almond paste
• 1 1⁄2 cups butter, softened
• 1  cup sugar
• 4  eggs, separated
• 1  teaspoon  almond extract (pure, not imitation)
• 2  cups flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 10  drops  green food coloring
• 8  drops  red food coloring
• 12  ounces  apricot preserves
• 5  ounces  semisweet chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease three 9x13 pans; line with wax paper; grease paper.
3. Break up almond paste in large bowl.
4. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract.
5. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
6. Beat in flour and salt.
7. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
8. Gently fold into almond mixture.
9. Spread 1 1/2 cup batter into one of the pans.
10. Remove 1 1/2 cup batter to small bowl and mix in the green food coloring, then spread that in another prepared pan.
11. To the remaining 1 1/2 cup batter, add the red food coloring, then spread in the remaining prepared pan.
12. Bake for 15 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.
13. (Cakes will only be about 1/4-inch thick.) Immediately remove cakes from pans onto wire racks and cool completely.
14. Line a jelly roll pan with wax paper.
15. Heat the apricot preserves in a small saucepan and strain.
16. Place the green layer on the jelly roll pan.
17. Spread half the warm preserves on this all the way to the edges.
18. Add the yellow layer on top and spread with remaining preserves.
19. Place the pink layer, top-side up, on the yellow layer.
20. Cover with plastic wrap.
21. Weight down with a large cutting board or heavy flat tray.
22. Refrigerate overnight.
23. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over hot water.
24. Trim cake edges even.
25. Cut cake crosswise into 1-inch wide strips.
26. Frost top, then lay on its side and frost the bottom.
27. Allow chocolate to dry.
28. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
29. Repeat with remaining strips.