Italian Spumoni Cookies

"Cookies are made of butter and love"

~Norwegian proverb

This one is for all of my friends who work long hours, yet still want to whip up something special.  You start with Pillsbury sugar cookie dough that you doctor up, shape and refrigerate overnight.  The next day you have this beautiful slice and bake.  It's really easy and is the last of the recipes I raided from my mother's Taste of Home magazines.  Generally I have the time and inclination to cook from scratch.  It's my hobby, after all...but I appreciate a good shortcut as much as anyone.  The thing is, you have to be careful because shortcuts are only worthwhile if the end product doesn't suffer from it.  In this case, it doesn't, and these cookies would hold their own at any cookie exchange or party.

When it comes to baked goods, I'm really picky but I LOVED these cookies, and the Mister did too!  If you're a purest, by all means, make a batch of your favorite sugar cookie dough and use 2 pounds of it to complete the recipe (don't add the extra flour in that case).  Knock yourself out...OR use the Pillsbury cookie dough to make it fun, easy, quick...with no sacrifice in taste or texture....and no one will ever guess....MWA-HA-HA-HA!

The recipe called for pistachios for the green dough, but I didn't have any, so I substituted chopped toasted almonds.  I think a couple drops of almond extract would make them even better!  A few tips:  let the dough come to room temperature for a least an hour so it will be easy to work with.  When dividing into three pieces, do your best to make them as equal as possible.  That goes miles toward making the three pieces fit together correctly in the end steps.  Remember to start these cookies the night before!

Italian Spumoni Cookies
makes 30 cookies
A Taste of Home Recipe


2 16-ounce tubes Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
red food color
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons hazelnut liquor
1/3 cup chopped pistachios (or almonds)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
green food color


Allow cookie dough to come to room temperature (at least an hour).  Empty both rolls into a large mixing bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat in 3/4 cup of flour.  Divide dough into 3 equal parts.
Place one of the 1/3 portions of dough back into bowl.  Beat in 1/4 cup of flour, then 6 drops red food coloring and the 1/4 cup of chopped maraschino cherries.  Shape dough into a ball and set aside.  


Wipe inside of bowl with paper towel, then place another 1/3 portion of dough in.  Beat in 2 tablespoons of cocoa and 2 teaspoons of hazelnut liquor.  Shape dough into ball and set aside.

Wipe inside of bowl with a paper towel and add last 1/3 portion of dough.  Beat in 1/3 cup chopped nuts, 5 drops of green food coloring and almond flavoring (if desired).


Shape each ball of dough into an equal length log...about 15 inches long.  Place log on a piece of plastic wrap and using a rolling pin, flatten into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Pat sides and end square with a spatula.


Repeat with each portion of dough, then stack them in this order; cherry, chocolate, then pistachio.  Pat ends and sides with spatula to ease them to fit together. 

Wrap rectangle of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove dough from fridge, cut in half, re-wrapping and returning half to fridge (or freezer to use later).  Slice dough into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Cool 2 minutes, then using a spatula, carefully place cookies on cooling rack.  Cool completely, then store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container.