Description
Delight in these colorful Neapolitan Cookies featuring distinct layers of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry dough. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth cake-flour cookies that bring the classic ice cream trio to a delicious baked treat perfect for sharing or snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226 g)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 4 cups cake flour (450 g)
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Dough
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Chocolate Dough
- 3 Tablespoons natural cocoa powder (18 g)
Strawberry Dough
- ⅓ cup freeze dried strawberry powder (15 g)
Instructions
- Prepare butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Add eggs: Incorporate the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, stirring until completely combined for a smooth batter.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to create an even dry mixture.
- Mix dry into wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture in 3 to 4 parts into the wet ingredients, stirring continuously until fully combined into cookie dough.
- Divide dough: Evenly divide the dough into three separate bowls, approximately 360 grams each if using a scale.
- Create vanilla dough: To one bowl, add the vanilla bean paste and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir until fully incorporated.
- Create chocolate dough: To the second bowl, add the natural cocoa powder and mix thoroughly until combined.
- Create strawberry dough: To the third bowl, add the freeze dried strawberry powder and stir well until evenly mixed.
- Assemble doughs: Combine the three doughs carefully in a single bowl by placing them side by side, resembling Neapolitan ice cream stripes. Form the vanilla dough into a rough rectangle in the center, flanked by chocolate and strawberry doughs, making sure they blend together slightly.
- Chill dough: Cover the combined dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat oven and prepare pans: When dough is almost chilled, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Portion cookies: Remove dough from fridge and use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop to scoop through all three flavors at once, placing each multi-colored scoop about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the edges just start to turn a very light golden brown.
- Cool and serve: Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before enjoying their soft, layered flavors.
Notes
- Cake flour substitution: If unavailable, substitute 3 ⅔ cups (450 g) all-purpose flour instead of cake flour for a slightly different texture.
- Strawberry powder: Make your own by grinding freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until fine powder.
- Advance preparation: Dough can be made up to 5 days in advance; it will harden after an hour refrigerated and may need to warm slightly at room temperature to be scoopable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
