These Neapolitan cookies are a treat no matter the occasion. They do require a little more work but the results are worth it. The recipe is reproduced from 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen by Sarah Kieffer (read our review here). Below is an excerpt from Kieffer:
“This cookie was inspired by pastry chef Matthew Rice’s Neapolitan cookie, which I stumbled upon while searching Pinterest for the colour pink. This cookie popped up, and I was intrigued by the pretty colours all rolled together. I headed straight to the kitchen. I used my sugar cookie as a base and came up with the version here. My children beg for this cookie, and it’s worth the extra steps needed to create it.”
Makes 20 cookies
Ingredients
21⁄2 cups + 1 tbsp (364g) all-purpose flour
3⁄4 tsp baking soda
3⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄2 cup (8g) freeze-dried strawberries
1 cup (2 sticks or 227g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
13⁄4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp Dutchprocess cocoa powder
2 or 3 drops red food colouring (optional)
White, pink and brown sprinkles for rolling (optional)
Method
Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Line three sheet pans with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulverise the strawberries into a powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
Dump the dough out onto a work surface and divide it into 3 equal portions. Put one-third of the dough back into the mixer and add the powdered strawberries and food colouring, if using. Mix on low speed until totally combined, then remove the dough and quickly wipe out the bowl of the mixer.
Add another third of the dough to the mixer. Add cocoa powder and mix on low speed until totally combined.
Pinch a small portion (about 1⁄2 oz [15 g]) of each of the three doughs, and press them gently together, so they adhere to each other, but keep their unique colours. Press the piece into a cookie scoop or roll it into a ball, then roll the ball into sprinkles (if using). Place 6 or 7 cookies on each sheet pan.
Bake the cookies one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake until the sides are set and the cookies are puffed, 10 to 11 minutes.
Transfer the sheet pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the pan, then remove them and let them cool completely on the wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
NOTES: Use black cocoa powder for a darker colour. The powdered strawberries on their own won’t give a bright pink hue, so I like to add a little food colouring. I also like to roll each individual colour of dough into the same colour of sprinkles, but you can mix and match however your heart desires.