Description
These Neapolitan Cookies are soft, melt-in-your-mouth treats featuring three classic flavors—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry—swirled together in a beautiful tri-color dough that bakes to golden perfection. Made with cake flour for a tender crumb and enhanced with natural ingredients like vanilla bean paste, cocoa powder, and freeze-dried strawberry powder, these cookies are perfect for sharing or enjoying as a delightful snack.
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, beat together softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and well-combined.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture and stir until completely combined and smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and 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 thoroughly after each addition until the dough comes together completely.
- Divide Dough: Evenly divide the cookie dough into three separate bowls, approximately 360 grams each if weighing.
- Make Vanilla Dough: In one bowl, add the vanilla bean paste and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch to the dough, stirring until fully incorporated.
- Make Chocolate Dough: In the second bowl, add the natural cocoa powder to the dough and stir thoroughly until fully combined, creating the chocolate dough.
- Make Strawberry Dough: In the third bowl, add the freeze-dried strawberry powder to the dough and mix well until the strawberry flavor and color are evenly distributed.
- Combine Doughs: Place the three doughs side by side in one bowl, arranging them like the layers of Neapolitan ice cream with vanilla in the center and chocolate and strawberry on the sides. Gently press the doughs into one another so they blend together along the edges. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the combined dough for at least 60 minutes to firm it up for easier scooping and baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: When dough is nearly done chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop Cookies: Using a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop, generously scoop portions of the dough ensuring you capture all three colors in each scoop. Place the scoops on the prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn a very light golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack or serving. Enjoy the beautiful tri-flavored Neapolitan cookies!
Notes
- Cake Flour Substitution: Cake flour is preferred for its softness and tender crumb, but you can use 3 ⅔ cups (450g) all-purpose flour as a substitute if needed.
- Strawberry Powder: Freeze-dried strawberries can be processed into a fine powder using a food processor for an intense natural strawberry flavor in the dough.
- Make Ahead: Cookie dough can be made up to 5 days in advance. Note that chilled dough becomes firm and may require sitting at room temperature briefly to soften before scooping.
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
