Description
Delight in these charming Neapolitan Cookies featuring three distinct flavors—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry—layered together just like the classic ice cream. Soft and melt-in-your-mouth with a perfect balance of sweetness and flavor, these cookies are a colorful treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 4 cups (450 g) cake flour
- 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 (18 g) natural cocoa powder
Strawberry Dough
- ⅓ cup (15 g) freeze dried strawberry powder
Instructions
- Beat 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 becomes light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Add Eggs: Incorporate the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, stirring until completely combined and smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 3 to 4 parts, stirring after each addition until fully combined into a smooth dough.
- Divide Dough: Evenly divide the dough into three separate bowls, measuring approximately 360 g of dough per bowl if using a scale.
- Prepare Vanilla Dough: To one bowl, add the vanilla bean paste and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, stirring until fully incorporated.
- Prepare Chocolate Dough: To the second bowl, add the natural cocoa powder and stir thoroughly until well blended.
- Prepare Strawberry Dough: To the third bowl, add freeze dried strawberry powder and mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
- Assemble Doughs: Combine the three doughs in a single bowl by placing each one side by side, mimicking Neapolitan ice cream layering—vanilla in a rough rectangle in the center, chocolate and strawberry on either side—allowing them to gently blend where they meet.
- Chill Dough: Cover the combined dough bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat Oven: When the dough is almost finished chilling, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop Cookies: Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop to scoop portions that include all three flavors together. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the edges start to turn a very light golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before enjoying.
Notes
- Cake Flour Substitute: Cake flour creates a softer texture, but if unavailable, you can substitute with 3 ⅔ cups (450 g) all-purpose flour.
- Making Strawberry Powder: Freeze dried strawberries can be pulverized in a food processor to create the fine powder required for the strawberry dough.
- Advance Preparation: Cookie dough can be made up to 5 days ahead. Note that it becomes firm after sitting; allow it to warm to room temperature before scooping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
