Aunt Sues Holiday Chocolate Pecan Neapolitan Cookies Recipes

NEAPOLITAN HOLIDAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 3 quarter-sheet pans (or three 13-by-9-by-2-inch jelly roll pans) with cooking spray. Line each pan with parchment paper and coat the paper with cooking spray as well.
• Place the almond paste in the bowl of a stand mixer. Break it up into small pieces with a fork. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and add the butter and sugar to the bowl. Beat the mixture on high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, add the egg yolks, and beat until incorporated. Turn the mixer off and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.
• Clean the mixer bowl thoroughly and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter until thoroughly blended.
• Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the batter to a medium bowl, then transfer another 1 1/2 cups of the batter to a second medium bowl. Add the red food coloring to one of the bowls and stir until the batter is tinted throughout. Add the green food coloring to the second bowl and stir until the batter is tinted throughout. Scrape each of the three batters into one of the prepared pans, using the spatula to spread the batter to the edges. Bake, rotating and switching the positions of the pans halfway through, until the edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely.
• To assemble, place the green layer on a large cutting board or a large inverted baking sheet lined with wax paper. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the top. Place the yellow layer on top and spread with the apricot preserves. If there are large chunks of apricots, remove and chop them up to make them more spreadable. Top with the red layer. Cover with plastic wrap and place a heavy cutting board on top to weight it down. Refrigerate overnight.
• Place the chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl and melt in the microwave on low power about 2 minutes. Spread the chocolate on top of the cooled cake and let dry slightly. Trim the rim of the cake with a serrated knife to make clean edges. Cut the cake crosswise into twelve 1-inch-wide strips, then cut lengthwise into 1 1/4-inch strips. The cookies will keep, covered, up to 1 week.

NEAPOLITAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with waxed paper, letting ends extend up sides. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. , Divide dough into 3 portions. Mix almond extract and food coloring into 1 portion; spread evenly into prepared pan. Mix walnuts into another portion; spread evenly over first layer. Mix melted chocolate into remaining portion; spread over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. , Preheat oven to 350°. Lifting with waxed paper, remove dough from pan. Cut lengthwise in half; cut each half crosswise into 1/8-in. slices., Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges are firm, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

AUNT SUE'S HOLIDAY CHOCOLATE PECAN NEAPOLITAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 x 5 x 3 in loaf pan with waxed paper and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Divide dough into thirds. Add almond extract and red food coloring to one portion; spread evenly into prepared pan. Add green food coloring to second portion; spread evenly over first layer. Add chocolate syrup to third portion; spread evenly over second layer. Cover with foil. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
• Unwrap loaf and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each portion widthwise into 1 inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until blended and smooth. Dip one end of each cookie into chocolate. Place on wire racks until set.

CHOCOLATE PECAN SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Spread pecan halves on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until roasty and fragrant. Remove from the oven and cool. Transfer the pecans to a cutting board and give them a rough chop. Allow chopped pecans to cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, half of the sugar (1/4 cup), and vanilla until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the flour, cocoa powder and salt mixture. Mix on low until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add the pecans and the sprinkles and mix until just combined.
• Line a work surface with a large piece of parchment paper. Scrape the dough out onto the parchment paper and gather it together with your hands. Roll into a 6 1/2-inch-long log that is about 2 inches wide. Tightly wrap the dough in parchment paper, twisting the ends so it's airtight. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, for 2 hours or overnight.
• Set an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Spread the remaining granulated sugar on a plate and roll the log in the sugar to coat completely.
• Slice the log into eighteen 1/4-inch discs and place them on the baking sheet evenly spaced apart. Bake in the center of the oven until the cookies are no longer shiny and slightly puffed; begin checking for doneness at 16 minutes. Let cool on the pans.
• Using a 1/2-ounce scoop or a spoon, dollop about 1 tablespoon of the filling on the bottom of 12 of the cooled cookies. Sandwich with another half and smush lightly. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container on the counter until you eat them all.
• Cream together butter and caramel until smooth. Add powdered sugar and salt and whip until combined and light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED NEAPOLITAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Line a 9x5x3 inches loaf pan with waxed paper; set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Divide dough into thirds. Add peppermint extract and red food coloring to one portion and mix well; spread evenly into prepared pan.
• Spread one plain layer evenly over first layer.
• To last portion add chocolate syrup; spread over second layer.
• Cover with foil; chill for 4 hours or overnight.
• Unwrap loaf and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each portion widthwise into 1/4 in slices.
• Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until blended and smooth.
• Dip one end of each cookie into chocolate. Place on wire racks until set.

REAL NEAPOLITAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 13x9x2-inch pans; line with waxed paper and grease waxed paper.
• Mix almond filling, egg yolks, margarine, and sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl. Stir into almond mixture.
• Beat egg whites together in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Fold into almond batter.
• Divide batter equally among 3 bowls. Add green food coloring to 1 bowl; add red food coloring to another. Leave the third bowl uncolored. Pour the contents of each bowl into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove waxed paper, and turn right-side-up on a baking sheet.
• Spread apricot jam onto the surface of the green cake; top with the plain cake. Spread raspberry jam onto the plain cake; top with the red cake. Cover with plastic wrap; set a heavy cutting board or flat pan on top. Refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
• Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in the microwave until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread melted chocolate onto the surface of the cake. Allow to set, about 15 minutes.
• Cut off all 4 sides of the cake to make the edges clean and even. Cut the cake into 1-inch strips; cut strips into bite-size pieces.

HOLIDAY PECAN PIE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the dough, cream the butter, sugar, corn syrup and egg yolks. Stir in flour gradually to mix. Chill 1 hour.
• For the filling, combine confectioners' sugar, butter and and dark corn syrup in a saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Cook for two minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Mixture thickens when cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make walnut size balls of dough and place on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Brush with reserved egg white. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and press 1/2 teaspoon of pecan filling into center of each partially baked cookie. This is easiest to do using your fingers. Return to oven for 5 more minutes. Cool for 3 minutes on baking sheet then remove to cooling rack.

NEAPOLITAN COOKIES

Steps:

• This dough chills overnight. On the day you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 400.
• For the dark dough: sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cloves, and cinnamon and set aside.
• Grind or cut chocolate until it is fine (otherwise it will be hard to slice the dough). Set aside.
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, add the coffee and brown sugar and beat well.
• Add the eggs and beat to mix. Beat in the ground chocolate.
• On low speed gradually add the sifted dry ingredients, scraping the bowl regularly. Don't overblend! Then stir in the nuts. Set the dough aside (not in the fridge) and make the light dough.
• Light dough: Sift together flour, salt, baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large clean bowl of the electric mixer with clean beaters, cream the butter. Add the vanilla, the sugar, water and beat well. Add the egg, beat to mix. On low speed gradually add the shifted dry ingredients. Don't overmix.
• Mix in the currents, lemon rind and cherries.
• Layer dough in the pans: one half the dark dough (carefully pack down and smooth), all the light dough (do the same), then the rest of the dark dough. Press down to make a compact loaf.
• Chill overnight (or for about twelve hours) in the freezer.
• To bake: preheat to 400. You'll need unbuttered cookie sheets, lined with foil if possible.
• Turn the pan over so that the cake of dough slides out, and peel off the foil or waxpaper. With a long and heavy knife, cut the cake in half the long way (if you used loaf pans); if you used a square 8x8 pan, cut it in three equal strips. Work with one piece at a time (wrap and freeze the others). Now slice the long piece you've got into individual cookies, about 1/3 of an inch thick. Place them 1 1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets -- they will spread!
• Bake 10 minutes, watching carefully. The white dough should be lightly browned, but the dark dough will burn if you're not careful. If they come out of the oven seeming slightly underdone, that's good. They'll be chewy instead of brittle.

NEAPOLITAN COOKIES I

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Divide dough equally into three small bowls. Add almond extract and red food coloring to one portion; stir until thoroughly mixed. Mix chocolate into second bowl, and walnuts into the third bowl.
• Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with waxed paper, and spread almond dough evenly in the bottom of the pan. Spread the walnut dough evenly over the almond layer, and top with chocolate dough layer. Cover layered dough with waxed paper, and place in the refrigerator until firm, about 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Turn out chilled dough by inverting pan; peel off waxed paper. With sharp knife, cut dough lengthwise in half. Slice each half of dough crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices on cookie sheet one inch apart.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT NEAPOLITANS

Steps:

• Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with waxed paper; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Divide dough into thirds. Add almond extract and red food coloring to 1 portion; spread evenly into prepared pan. Add coconut to second portion; spread evenly over first layer. Add chocolate syrup to third portion; spread over second layer. Cover with foil; freeze for 4 hours or overnight., Unwrap loaf and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each portion widthwise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until edges are lightly browned, 12-14 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip 1 end of each cookie into chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

NEAPOLITAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Line the bottom of a loaf pan with waxed paper.
• With an electric mixer combine flour, sugar, butter, egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt; beat for 3 minutes.
• Divide the cookie dough into 3 equal parts.
• Part 1: mix in the almond or hazelnut extract and 5 drops red food coloring (this is the pink/red dough).
• Part 2: mix in the chopped walnuts or pistachios (this is the white dough).
• Part 3: mix in the cocoa (this is the brown dough).
• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• In the loaf pan, spread each part of the dough one on top of the other, pink, white, and chocolate; cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• After chilling, turn out the dough from the pan and cut loaf lengthwise in half, then crosswise, then cut pieces of dough to make about 15 cookies from each piece.
• Bake each batch for 8-10 minutes.
• Makes about 60 cookies.