Neapolitan Cookies
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Divide dough equally into three small bowls. Add almond extract and red food coloring to one portion; stir until thoroughly mixed. Mix chocolate into second bowl, and walnuts into the third bowl.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Divide dough equally into three small bowls. Add almond extract and red food coloring to one portion; stir until thoroughly mixed. Mix chocolate into second bowl, and walnuts into the third bowl.
- Carbohydrate 6.1960699137148 g
- Cholesterol 6.84652778336989 mg
- Fat 3.09373356699983 g
- Fiber 0.172560188953831 g
- Protein 0.70795875045535 g
- Saturated Fat 1.66290481617348 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (13g)
- Sodium 75.0923148967774 mg
- Sugar 6.02350972476096 g
- Trans Fat 0.238803259426734 g
- Calories 55 calories
Step-by-step
- In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Divide dough equally into three small bowls. Add almond extract and red food coloring to one portion; stir until thoroughly mixed. Mix chocolate into second bowl, and walnuts into the third bowl.
- Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with waxed paper, and spread almond dough evenly in the bottom of the pan. Spread the walnut dough evenly over the almond layer, and top with chocolate dough layer. Cover layered dough with waxed paper, and place in the refrigerator until firm, about 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Turn out chilled dough by inverting pan; peel off waxed paper. With sharp knife, cut dough lengthwise in half. Slice each half of dough crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices on cookie sheet one inch apart.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Chilling and Slicing Mechanics
Layering distinct dough portions inside a 9x5-inch loaf pan requires physical restraint to prevent the strata from merging unevenly. Pressing each section firmly against the previous layer eliminates air pockets that cause structural failure during slicing. Chilling the compacted block for four full hours solidifies the butter sufficiently to yield under a sharp chef's knife without crumbling. Operating with a chilled block prevents the chocolate, walnut, and almond-tinted layers from smearing across one another when cut into quarter-inch slices. Spacing the portions one inch apart on the baking sheet accommodates the modest expansion driven by the baking powder.
- Uneven slicing usually stems from a warm dough block; return the loaf pan to the refrigerator for thirty minutes if the butter softens during handling.
- Baking times between 10 and 12 minutes require close monitoring; remove the trays the moment the bottom edges turn light brown to prevent bitterness in the chocolate layer.
- Stale walnuts introduce rancid oils, so taste a nut fragment before chopping to guarantee clean, nutty flavor profiles throughout the third tier.
