Description

Spumoni Cookies are a colorful and festive twist on classic sugar cookies, inspired by the traditional Italian spumoni dessert. These cookies combine three beautifully flavored doughs—chocolate, cherry, and pistachio with almond extract—layered together to create a vibrant, delicious treat with distinct tastes in each bite.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough and Flavors

1 (16.5-oz.) package sugar cookie dough
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons finely chopped maraschino cherries, drained
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground raw shelled pistachios
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Green food gel coloring (a small drop)

Instructions

Divide and flavor the dough: Divide the sugar cookie dough evenly into three bowls (around 5.5 ounces each). Stir cocoa powder into the first bowl to make the chocolate dough. Add chopped cherries and all-purpose flour to the second bowl for the cherry dough. Mix ground pistachios, almond extract, and a drop of green food gel coloring into the third bowl for the pistachio dough.
Assemble the cookies: Using small measuring spoons (1 teaspoon) for each flavor, portion each of the three flavored doughs and combine them into a larger 3-tablespoon scoop, pressing gently so that the three doughs are aligned in a layered manner. Place the combined dough scoops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Freeze the shaped cookies for about 15 minutes until they are cold and firm.
Preheat the oven: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes until their tops are puffy and edges are very lightly golden but the colors still remain bright. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.
Cool the cookies: Transfer the baked cookies to wire racks and allow them to cool completely before serving or storing.

Notes

Freezing the dough before baking helps maintain the distinct, vibrant layers of colors and flavors.
The addition of flour to the cherry dough helps absorb excess moisture from the cherries to keep the cookies’ texture consistent.
If you want a stronger almond flavor, you can increase almond extract slightly, but be cautious as it is potent.
Use green gel food coloring for vibrant pistachio-colored dough as it won’t affect the texture like liquid coloring might.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days for best freshness.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 to 15 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian-American

Keywords: Spumoni Cookies, cherry cookies, pistachio cookies, chocolate cookies, layered cookies, colorful cookies, Italian desserts, sugar cookie twist