neapolitan cookies

These spectacular Neapolitan Cookies  and will they might look complicated they are actually really easy to make.  A single almond paste dough is divided into three bowls and colored red and green with the last bowl left plain. Cementing the layers together are two different jams.

Italian Neapolitan Cookies

sugar (250 grams)

almond paste (280 grams)

unsalted butter, softened (340 grams)

eggs

almond extract

all-purpose flour (350 grams)

baking soda

salt

Red Gel Food Coloring

Green Gel Food Coloring

water

sugar (100 grams)

dark rum

raspberry jam

apricot preserves

corn syrup

instant coffee

vanilla

sugar (200 grams)

cocoa, Dutch preferred (45 grams)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line 3 9x12 baking pans (quarter sheet pans) with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Place the sugar in the bowl of a food processor.  Cut or tear the almond paste into pieces and add to the processor.  Process  until the mixture looks like sand.

Remove the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the softened butter.  Beat until very light.

Add the eggs and almond extract and beat until fluffy, scraping several times.

In the meantime, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set the mixer to low and add the flour mixture to the butter 1/3 at a time, mixing just to combine.  The batter will be very thick.

Divide the batter into 3 bowls of about 500 grams each.  Color one bowl green, one red and leave the third bowl plain.

Spread each bowl evenly in one of the three parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.  They will be barely browned ad a tester will come out clean.  Do over bake.  The layers will be about 1/2&quot; each thick and dense.

Cool each pan completely.

Tri Colored Cookie Batter

Combine all the ingredients in a small pan.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes. Place in a 1 cup measure.  If it doesn&#39;t measure 1 cup, add water.   Cool completely.

Rum Soaking Wash

Place the apricot preserves in the bowl of a processor and process until smooth.  Set aside.

Place the green layer on a quarter sheet cake board upside down.  Brush with 1/3 cup of the rum wash.

Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the layer.

Top with the plain layer, spread with another 1/3 cup of the rum wash, and spread with the apricot preserves.

Place the red layer on top and brush with the last 1/3 cup of the rum wash.  Wrap the layers in plastic wrap.

Place a clean 9x13 or quarter sheet pan on top of the red layer.  Place a 10 pound bag of flour in the pan and refrigerate overnight.  Two 4 pound bags of flour will work also.

Assembly

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together.  Stir together completely.

Dissolve the coffee in the water.  Add the corn syrup and vanilla, stirring well to incorporate the corn syrup.

Add it to the powdered sugar/ cocoa mix. Stir with a spoon until completely combined. Do not be too vigorous with stirring to prevent air bubbles.

If the frosting is too loose or runny, sift in a bit more powdered sugar.  If it is too thick, add water a teaspoon or so at a time.  It should barely run down the sides when applied.

Spread it evenly over the top layer.  It should run down the sides as seen in the photo.  Let it sit at room temperature for several hours to set up.

Chocolate Frosting

Trim the sides of the cookies.  Measure the short long side.  Mine were 8&quot;x11&quot;  If yours are the same cut 8 1&quot; srips across the short side and 4 2 3/4&quot; down the long side to make 32 bars. These may be cut in half again to make 64 smaller cookies.

Store the cookies in a single layer to prevent marring the finish.  They get better as they sit.  The cookies will hold for 7 or more days if covered.

To make ahead, assemble through layering and weighing down the layers.  Do not add the frosting.  Wrap well and freeze for a couple of months after they have been weighted down.  Thaw in refrigerator if possible.  Finish as above.

Cutting the Cookies

Inspired by the ice cream, these Neapolitan Cookies are sweet with the most perfect sugar cookie texture. With chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry mix in the dough, they are extra soft and totally gorgeous!

Neapolitan Cookies

(222 grams) salted butter, softened

(162 grams) brown sugar

(152 grams) granulated sugar

egg + 1 yolk

(354 grams) all-purpose flour

tsp baking soda

tsp salt

Tbsp vanilla instant pudding mix ((about half of a 3.4 oz box))

Tbsp chocolate instant pudding mix ((about half of a 3.4 oz box))

Tbsp strawberry instant pudding mix ((about half of a 3.4 oz box))

Pink gel food coloring

sugar,

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the egg, yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. This should make 3 cups of dough.

Divide the dough into three equal portions (about 1 cup each). Leave one portion in the mixer.

Add vanilla pudding mix and mix until combined. Remove and keep separate.

Place the second portion of dough in the mixer and add chocolate pudding mix and combine. Remove and keep separate, then wipe the bowl clean.

Place the final portion of dough in the mixer and add the strawberry pudding mix to combine. Add pink gel food coloring until the desired color is reached.

With a 2 tsp scoop, portion out all of the dough, finishing one color before moving onto the next.

Press one scoop of each color side by side into a #40 scoop. Release and roll the dough in granulated sugar.

Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 2” apart. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8-10 mins, or until the tops are no longer glossy.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 mins before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. Enjoy!

This were so good! Smelt amazing. Also couldn’t find strawberry pudding mix so just swapped 1-1 strawberry jello mix and they turned out fine to me! I don’t have different size cookie scoop so I just eye balled 3 portions and hand rolled into balls

Made exactly as directed, same size, same temp, on a light baking sheet as recommended for cookies. they needed closer to 12 minutes. VERY hard to tell when they're baked. 
only change I did was white chocolate pudding with strawberry flavoring, as I didn't have strawberry pudding. overall, the flavor and texture of these aren't my favorite. they just dont bake nicely. I feel like a less brown sugar base would be better(more white than brown, 1/3 cup brown to 1 cup white), with half baking powder half baking soda, and a nice pinch of cornstarch.

I  cannot find strawberry pudding mix  anywhere!

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