Soft, buttery, and swirled with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, these Neapolitan cookies are made from one easy dough and rolled in sugar for a sweet, sparkly finish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined.
Gradually mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture just until combined. Do not over-mix.
Evenly divide the dough into three portions and place in separate bowls.
Leave one portion plain for the vanilla dough.
Mix the cocoa powder into the second portion to make chocolate dough.
Mix the strawberry powder (and a drop of food coloring, if using) into the third for strawberry dough.
Using a teaspoonful of each dough (I like to use cookie scoops here), press the three pieces gently together and lightly roll into a ball, just enough to swirl the colors without fully blending them.
If desired, roll each dough ball in granulated sugar before placing on the baking sheet.
Place the formed dough balls on a baking sheet and chill for 30–60 minutes. This helps the cookies bake up thicker and keeps the colors distinct.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the chilled dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared pan.
Bake one pan at a time for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look just baked. Use a cookie spatula or the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies slightly while still warm.
Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*To make strawberry powder, pulse freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or crush them in a sealed bag until finely ground. You can also purchase freeze-dried strawberry powder and skip the grinding step.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.