It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and I’m SO ready for the holidays to arrive! Aside from being able to slow down and spend time with family, my favorite part of the holidays is all of the delicious treats…like Neapolitan cookies! I love how they mix in THREE different flavors. So today, we’re sharing a twist on the classic recipe for a festive version perfect for the holidays. The recipe calls for matcha instead of chocolate, making them a bright pink, white, and green! They’re so colorful, tasty, and keep well so you can gift them for the holidays, too.

In partnership with KitchenAid, I’ll show you how to whip up these Matcha Neapolitan Cookies with the KitchenAid Artisan® Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer and Sifter+Scale Attachment. My Stand Mixer has been a key player in all of my baking over the last several years, and the Sifter+Scale Attachment is a total game changer. All I have to do is attach the Sifter+Scale Attachment to the power hub of my Stand Mixer, and voilà! HANDS-FREE sifting. The attachment also has an easy-to-use digital scale for a level of precision way beyond me. Come see how…

You’ll need...

For the Base Dough
– 2-1/2 cups flour
– 1/2 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
– 1 cup sugar
– 1 egg + 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
– 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Strawberry Dough
– 1-1/2 Tbsp flour
– 1 Tbsp strawberry jam
– optional: pink food coloring

Matcha Dough
– 1 tsp matcha powder

Topping
– white melting chocolate
– shredded coconut

Here’s how…
1. With the KitchenAid® Sifter+Scale Attachment attachment, sift flour, salt, and baking powder into stand mixer. Gently transfer dry ingredients to a medium bowl, set aside.
2. With paddle attachment, mix together butter and sugar until creamed. Add in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
3. Divide dough evenly into thirds.
4. To make the strawberry dough, add one portion of dough back into the mixing bowl, add flour, jam, and food coloring (if desired), and mix until fully combined.
5. Make sure to clean out the mixing bowl before beginning to make the matcha dough, to ensure that none of the doughs mix. Place another portion of the dough into the mixer and add matcha powder. Mix until fully combined.
6. Line a 5×9″ loaf pan with parchment, using enough so that the paper comes up over the edges of the pan. Begin layering dough, starting with the strawberry layer, followed by vanilla, and then matcha. Using your hands, try to make each layer as even and level as possible. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
8. Remove dough from pan and peel off parchment paper. Trim the edges of the dough to get cleaner sides and then cut the dough in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 1/2″ slices (about 16 per side).
9. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, and place dough squares about 2″ apart. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are just slightly turning golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before moving cookies to a cooling rack
10. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Dip the cookies and top with coconut.

This recipe makes about 32 cookies. If you’re going to prepare the dough for more than an hour in advance, place them in the refrigerator (rather than in the freezer!) to harden. Dough can be made up to three days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. 

Ta-dah! They’re so colorful, fun, and make great gifts. Giving (and receiving!) treats for the holidays has always been one of my favorites, and these cookies are perfect for that because they don’t crumble easily and bring that extra dose of holiday flair that I love. Enjoy! And, let me know if you make them this holiday season!

{Photos by Lily Glass, Concept/Production/Styling by Julia Wester, Production Assistance by Jess Hong. Written by Traci Michael and Joy Cho.}