neapolitan sandwich cookies
Think of it like a macaron for noobs
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.
Notes
*To store: I prefer storing the cookies covered in the fridge to prevent the frosting from softening. They keep well for up to 5 days.
*Biscuit cutters: I used these!