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Neapolitan Cookie Bars

Chocolate and vanilla layered cookie bars topped with a delicate strawberry pink buttercream
dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: cookie, Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g dairy-free margarine
  • 60 g caster sugar
  • 40 g soft brown sugar
  • 1 tsp dairy-free milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 180 g plain flour
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp dairy-free milk
for the strawberry buttercream
  • 50 g dairy-free margarine
  • 200 g icing sugar
  • 10 g freeze dried strawberries or strawberry powder

Equipment

  • 1 2 lb loaf tin

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180℃ and line a loaf tin with parchment
  2. Cream together the margarine and caster and soft brown sugars until light and fluffy
  3. whisk in the 1 tsp milk and vanilla extract
  4. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and combine to form a lovely soft dough.
  5. Divide into two portions (each will be about 190g)
  6. To one half stir in the additional 1 tsp milk and the cocoa powder
  7. First, spread the chocolate cookie mixture onto the base of the lined tin
  8. Next, place the vanilla cookie layer on top and smooth over to make a nice even layer. (This is easiest by breaking the dough into small pieces and dotting over the chocolate layer and then smoothing over)
  9. Prick all over with a fork and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to cool.
  10. Meanwhile, make the strawberry icing layer.
  11. Blitz the freeze dried strawberries (keeping 2 aside) with 100g of the icing sugar to make a strawberry sugar. (leave out this step if using strawberry powder and just stir into the 200g icing sugar instead)
  12. Whisk the margarine, icing sugar and strawberry sugar until you have a thick, but smooth buttercream
  13. Spread over the cooled cookie base and level off.
  14. Decorate with finely grated freeze-dried strawberry.
  15. Place in the fridge for at least half an hour to firm up
  16. Cut into 8 even squares. These cookies are best kept in the fridge and eaten within 3 days

Notes

  • This recipe is easily multiplied - to fill a 20cm square tin simply double the recipe
  • If you can't locate any freeze dried strawberries make a coulis from fresh strawberries and add 1 tbsp to the icing instead (you may need to add up to an additional 50g icing sugar)