neapolitan sandwich cookies
Move over, macarons. We’ve a simpler way to encapsulate your charm.
The buttercream sandwich cookie isn’t something with which I was all that familiar until Trader Joe’s released their sprinkle sandwich cookies. I bought them incessantly in California after Big Sur and ate one almost every morning post-race. I love me a buttery shortbread, and if you add a pocket of frosting in the middle, I’m never going to say no.
I introduce these little guys as macaron meets Oreo. The cookie is soft like the former and the shape and sentiment reminiscent of the latter. Two flavors of shortbread encase a mound of strawberry buttercream that’s easy to make and fun to lick off the beater once you’re done. Please just make sure the beater is off, good lord.
Don’t Call Me Shorty
Short bread is one of the most basic of basic cookie doughs. The core components are butter, flour, salt, and sugar, and typically vanilla as a flavoring. I switch things up with both a vanilla and a chocolate batter, but don’t worry, the process isn’t made fussier even with the dynamic duo.
I use my stand mixer for both doughs and clean it out in between. Shortbread dough isn’t as messy as regular cookie dough so a quick rinse and wipe is a cinch. If you have two mixing bowls, all the merrier.
You can start in whatever order you please, but I did the vanilla first. Mix up the dough until cohesive. You might need a bit of water if it seems too stiff, but I didn’t have this issue.
Flour a clean work surface and roll the dough into a rectangle. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter, or any similar-sized cookie cutter, to make your shapes. You’ll have plenty of dough left after the first pass, so repeat the roll-and-cut process until you’ve used what you can. Set the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
The process for the chocolate shortbread is identical except for a small adjustment of ingredients. Cut down the flour and add some cocoa powder in place, and I also use a touch less vanilla. That’s it. Roll, cut, roll cut, and put the cookies on another baking sheet. FYI – the cookies don’t spread all that much, so you can place them a bit closer together than you would if making chocolate chip cookies, say. 1/2 inch should do the trick.
Set them in the oven and bake at 350 until set. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
Jammin’ Out
Cool the cookies completely. When they’re ready, whip up the buttercream. I color and flavor the frosting with a good quality strawberry jam; try to find one that’s on the thicker side. The hue isn’t obnoxiously pink, but I love the subtlety and find it rather pretty alongside the stark contrast of the vanilla and chocolate cookies.
All you need for the buttercream is powdered sugar, butter, the jam, vanilla, and whipping cream. Get it nice and combined. A stiffer buttercream is okay here – holds its shape better when wedged between cookies.
I alternated between using a vanilla and a chocolate for the bottom cookie. Pipe the buttercream all around the cookie in a relatively thick layer. Really, you can go as thick as you want, but I try for maybe 1/4 inch stack. Place the opposite flavor cookie on top. Voila, Neapolitan!
Aside from the rolling and cutting, these guys couldn’t be simpler. Quash those unidentified midday cravings by having all three flavors rather than frantically deciding between fruity, chocolatey, or plain vanilla. Kind of how you have to approach ice cream sometimes.
I recommend stowing these in the fridge to prevent the summer heat from creeping into the frosting. I recommend even more whipping up a batch before Monday to take to your July 4th gathering. Kids will just adore these (well, if they have a decent palate and enjoy strawberry). You don’t even have to tell them that they aren’t proper Oreos.
PS: how did you eat oreos? I don’t know, but I feel like I’m odd for actually eating the cookie as intended rather than ripping it apart and feasting on the innards like a savage.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More of my favorite summertime cookies:
Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars
“Screwball” Chocolate Chunk Cookies
neapolitan sandwich cookies
Ingredients
vanilla shortbread
- 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
chocolate shortbread
- 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
strawberry buttercream
- 6 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp high-quality strawberry jam
- 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
- Vanilla batter: in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, then whip in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt, mixing until a soft cohesive dough forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the dough seems too tough, add 1/2 tbsp water. I did not have this issue.
- Chocolate batter: in a separate large bowl (or the same one, cleaned out), beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, then whip in the vanilla. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, mixing until a soft cohesive dough forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The chocolate dough will be a bit tighter than the vanilla. Again, add 1/2 tbsp water to the dough and mix if it's not sticking.
- Flour a clean, flat surface. Divide the vanilla dough in half and roll into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Using a 2 inch biscuit cutter, gently press rounds out of the dough and set onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 1/2 inch space between each round – they don't spread much.
- Gather and re-roll the dough as needed to cut more rounds. Repeat with the remaining vanilla dough and the chocolate dough. I got 20 rounds each out of the vanilla and chocolate doughs.
- Set the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are set. Cool on the baking sheets.
- When the cookies are cooled, make the buttercream. Whip together the butter, powdered sugar, jam, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, and vanilla until soft and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. This buttercream should be a bit stiffer than what you'd prefer when frosting a cake, but if it's too gritty, add 1 tablespoon additional heavy cream.
- Scoop the frosting into a piping bag or a large ziptop bag with a corner snipped out. Lay 20 of the cookie rounds on a flat surface – mix and match between the vanilla and chocolate!
- Pipe the frosting into the center of each cookie and top with the opposite cookie as the bottom layer. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge.
