Description
Neapolitan Cookies are a delightful treat featuring three distinct flavors—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry—layered together like the classic ice cream. These soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are made with cake flour and freeze-dried strawberry powder for authentic flavor, perfect for special occasions or anytime you crave a delicious, colorful cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
For the 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
For the vanilla dough
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
For the chocolate dough
- 3 Tablespoons (18 g) natural cocoa powder
For the strawberry dough
- ⅓ cup (15 g) freeze dried strawberry powder
Instructions
- Prepare wet ingredients: 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-sugar mixture and stir until completely combined.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together 4 cups cake flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt until fully combined.
- Combine dry and wet: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 3 to 4 parts, stirring each addition until fully incorporated into a dough.
- Divide dough: Divide the dough evenly into three separate bowls, approximately 360 grams each if using a scale.
- Flavor vanilla dough: To one bowl, add 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, then stir until combined.
- Flavor chocolate dough: To the second bowl, add 3 Tablespoons natural cocoa powder and stir until incorporated.
- Flavor strawberry dough: To the third bowl, add ⅓ cup freeze dried strawberry powder and stir thoroughly until evenly mixed.
- Assemble dough layers: Place the three doughs side by side in a single bowl, arranging them as in Neapolitan ice cream with vanilla in the center and chocolate and strawberry on either side, allowing the doughs to touch and slightly blend.
- Chill dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up the dough.
- Preheat oven and prep pans: When dough is almost chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop cookies: Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and use a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop dough through all three flavors, placing the scoops on baking sheets spaced at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies: Bake in 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 enjoying.
Notes
- Cake flour: Cake flour provides extra softness and melt-in-your-mouth texture. If unavailable, substitute with 3 ⅔ cups (450 g) all-purpose flour.
- Strawberry powder: Use freeze-dried strawberries processed in a food processor to make fine powder for authentic strawberry flavor.
- Make ahead: Dough can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. Note it becomes firm and may need to warm to room temperature slightly before scooping.
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: 30 mg
