Neapolitans

 

Neapolitans  (Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 171.

Here is a festive-looking cookie, perfect for the holidays. The recipe had always intimidated me and I thought they would be a challenge - two different doughs, overnight chilling, etc. However, I was wrong and although maybe a bit time-consuming, they are quite simple to make and actually fun to put together.

Doing an Internet search brings up photos of other Neapolitan cookies and most of them have three colors - white, dark and pink (like the ice cream). This one is different from all of those but the ingredients sound similar. 

Another surprise is the taste - I expected them to be a firm cookies. But I was wrong - they are soft and almost chewy.  

I know that there have been food shortages this year and I wonder if that is the reason I had difficulty locating the candied cherries. I usually see mountains of it piled up in the grocery stores this time of year. I had to go to three different stores before finally finding them at Fred Meyer.

One half of the dough makes a good quantity of cookies. The remaining half can be saved for baking later, which is what I did.

 

Dark Dough  

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
5 oz. (1 cup) nuts (pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts or pecans), cut into medium-sized pieces

You will use a 11 x 5 x 3 loaf pan for this or a pan with a 8-9 cup capacity (or you can use two smaller pans). Criss cross the pan with foil that is long enough to make handles so that you can easily lift it out of the pan.

 

Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, clove and cinnamon and set aside.

Cream the butter. Add the brown sugar...

and the instant coffee

Mix in the eggs.

Add the chocolate.

Add the sifted dry ingredients.

Beat in the nuts.

 

Set the dough aside and prepare the second dough.

Light Dough

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 TBS. water
1 egg
3/4 cup currants (unchopped) or raisins (coarsely chopped)
Finely grated rind of 1 large lemon
12 candied red cherries, cut into quarters
12 candied green cherries, cut into quarters

This is made in pretty much the same fashion with a few different ingredients.

Sift the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

Cream the butter.

Add the vanilla and almond extracts, the sugar and the water.

Mix in the eggs.

On low speed, add the sifted ingredients, scarping the bowl as necessary.

Mix in the raisins (or currants), the lemon zest and the cherries.

Place about half of the dark dough in the pan and press it firmly down with your fingertips.

 

Spread all of the light dough over the dark and press firmly down.

 

Cover the top with wax paper or foil and press down.

 

Chill the dough overnight in the freezer or refrigerator.

To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 400. Line the cookie sheets with parchment or foil. 

Remove the dough from the pan carefully. 

Cut the dough in half lengthwise. You can freeze one half for later use or bake both now. If you plan to bake both, replace one in the freezer while you prepare the other.

Cut the dough into slices about 1/4 inch thick. (If the dough crumbles, it needs more chilling).

 

Place the slices 1" apart on the cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the light dough is lightly colored. Watch carefully as the dark dough can burn easily.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.