Description
These 30-Minute Strawberry Matcha Neapolitan Cookies are a delightful twist on the classic cookie. Featuring three vibrant flavors—strawberry, matcha, and classic vanilla—combined into one colorful dough ball, these cookies offer a unique and visually appealing treat with a sweet and slightly earthy taste. Perfect for a quick bake, they come together easily in just half an hour.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (plus ½ cup for rolling)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Flavoring Powders
- ½ cup freeze dried strawberries (processed into ~2 tbsp powder)
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) to get it ready for baking the cookies.
- Prepare Baking Sheets: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and facilitate easy cleanup.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl or stand mixer, whisk the room temperature butter and 1 cup granulated sugar together until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: To the butter and sugar mixture, add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined to form the cookie dough.
- Divide Dough: Split the dough evenly into three separate bowls for the three different flavors.
- Prepare Strawberry Powder: Using a spice grinder or food processor, pulse the freeze dried strawberries until they become a fine powder (about 2 tablespoons), then stir this powder into one of the dough portions until evenly mixed.
- Add Matcha Powder: Mix the matcha powder into the second portion of dough thoroughly.
- Form Multiflavor Balls: Take one tablespoon from each flavored dough bowl and combine them into a single cookie dough ball weighing approximately 50 grams total, creating a layered neapolitan effect.
- Coat in Sugar: Roll each combined dough ball in the ½ cup granulated sugar to coat thoroughly; repeat until all dough is used.
- Bake Cookies: Place the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are slightly golden.
- Cool: Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the butter and egg are at room temperature for best texture and mixing results.
- Using freeze dried strawberries ensures a concentrated strawberry flavor without adding moisture to the dough.
- If you don’t have a spice grinder or food processor, you can crush freeze dried strawberries in a zip-lock bag using a rolling pin.
- Do not overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to avoid tough cookies.
- These cookies are best enjoyed within 2 days when stored in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
