Description
Delight in these colorful Neapolitan Cookies that combine vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavored doughs for a vibrant twist on a classic treat. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies made with cake flour and natural flavorings, perfect for sharing and impressing guests.
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
- Prepare Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, beat together 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 ½ cups granulated sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Add Eggs: Add 2 large eggs to the butter and sugar mixture and stir until completely combined and smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 4 cups cake flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 3 to 4 parts, stirring each time until fully incorporated and a dough forms.
- Divide Dough: Evenly divide the dough into three separate bowls, measuring approximately 360g in each if using a scale for accuracy.
- Make Vanilla Dough: Add 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch to one bowl and stir until uniformly mixed.
- Make Chocolate Dough: Add 3 Tablespoons natural cocoa powder to the second bowl and stir in thoroughly until the dough turns chocolate brown.
- Make Strawberry Dough: Add ⅓ cup freeze dried strawberry powder to the third bowl and stir until the color and flavor are evenly distributed.
- Assemble Doughs: In a single bowl, arrange the three dough portions side by side, similar to Neapolitan ice cream layers, with vanilla in the center and chocolate and strawberry on either side. Gently blend the edges where they meet to create a marbled look without fully mixing the colors.
- Chill Dough: Cover the assembled dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: When dough is almost chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop Cookies: Use a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough, ensuring each scoop contains all three dough flavors. Place scoops on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the edges start to turn a very light golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before enjoying these soft and flavorful Neapolitan treats.
Notes
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is preferred for its soft texture, but you can substitute 3 ⅔ cups (450 g) all-purpose flour if unavailable.
- Strawberry Powder: Freeze-dried strawberries can be processed in a food processor into a fine powder to use in the strawberry dough portion.
- Advance Preparation: Dough can be made up to 5 days ahead. It will become firm after chilling more than an hour; allow dough to soften at room temperature before scooping.
- Scooping Tip: For the signature Neapolitan effect, scoop through all three dough portions to get a cookie with distinct layers of each flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
