I decided to come up with a shortbread version of these Neapolitan cookies for a few reasons, since they always find their way into my holiday cookie boxes. The main reason being they are slightly less tedious to put together than the sugar cookie version, which saves some time during the holiday cookie madness I like to put myself through.
Shortbread dough does not have any leavening in it, and is known for its “short” or crumbly texture. The shining ingredient is of course, butter, but this beautiful, multi-color cookie also has a nice hit of chocolate and strawberry. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt I put into the cookie, but if you have a salted butter you love, you can use that instead; taste the finished dough before adding more salt. Make sure that the dough is completely combined, and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixer.
How to Shape Neapolitan Shortbread
- As in the Neapolitan sugar cookies, the dough is divided into three sections, and then strawberry and chocolate are added to two of the portions.
- I press the doughs together and create three different stripes of color and flavor for each cookie. I like how the lines are perfectly straight and each cookie is unique.
- I also shaped the log into more of a square instead of rounding it out into a circle, so that my cookie box would have some variety of shape as well (since most cookies are circle shaped except the cut-out cookies).
If you’re looking for a plain vanilla shortbread, I have this Buttery Shortbread recipe. If you wanted a pan version instead of slice and bake, you’ll love this Tender, Pan-Style Shortbread. I have quite a few recipes for shortbread and sables in my books too; all of them quite similar in nature, and all of them well-loved by my family.
Tips for Making Neapolitan Shortbread Cookies:
Butter is the major ingredient here, so make sure to use a brand of butter that you love.
I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt I put into the cookie, but if you have a salted butter you love, you can use that instead; taste the finished dough before adding more salt. Make sure that the dough is completely combined, and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixer.
Use black cocoa powder for a darker color.
I buy freeze-dried strawberries at Target or you can get them online here. The powdered strawberries on their own won’t give a bright pink hue, so I like to add a little food coloring.
Best Way to Store Shortbread
Shortbread can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Shortbread can also be frozen: make sure the cookies are wrapped airtight (a ziplock freezer bag works good for this) and freeze for up to 2 months.
- 1 1/2 cups [3 sticks or 339 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup [200 g] granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup [60 g] confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups [426 g] all-purpose flour*
- 1/4 cup [8 g] freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 to 2 drops pink food coloring, optional
- 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon water, room temperature
- sanding sugar
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In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulverize the strawberries into a powder. (You can sift the seeds out if desired, but don’t need to).
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated and confectioners’ sugar and salt, and beat again on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg yolks and vanilla, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Then add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined.
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Dump the dough out onto a work surface and divide it into three equal portions. Put one-third of the dough back into the mixer and add the powdered strawberries and food coloring, if using. Mix on low speed until totally combined, then remove the dough.
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Add another third of dough to the mixer. Add the cocoa powder and mix on low speed until totally combined. If the cocoa powder is not incorporating quickly, add the teaspoon of water to the mixing bowl.
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Divide each of the three flavor portions of dough into two equal pieces, for six pieces of dough total. Stack one chocolate, one strawberry, and one vanilla on top of each other, and gently press the pieces together. Pat and form into a log, about 2 in [5 cm] wide and 8 in [20 cm] long. Place the log on a large piece of plastic, a few inches longer than the log. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of sanding sugar over each side of the log, covering the outside of the dough. Gently press the sugar into the dough with your hands. Wrap the log in the plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight. Repeat with the remaining dough.
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When ready to bake, adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
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Sprinkle some more sanding sugar over each side of the log, if desired. Slice the chilled log into ½ in [12 mm] thick pieces (you can go up to 3/4 in if you want them a little thicker). Space the pieces about 2 in [5 cm] apart on the sheet pans. Bake one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake until the edges are light golden brown but the centers are still pale, 13 to 15 minutes. Move the pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely on the pan. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Different brands of flour have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high, which can result in very different outcomes when baking. I’ve found Gold Medal all-purpose unbleached flour to be the best option for many of my recipes; I use it in all the baked goods that don’t use yeast.
