Recipe of the week: Brutti ma Buoni Cookies

These toasted hazelnut cookies, whose irregular shape gives them the peculiar “Ugly but good” name, are ugly to the eye but delicious to the palate!

Their origin isn't certain - ongoing disputes about their place of origin exist to this day – although the most commonly accepted version recognizes the Piedmont region as the Brutti ma Buoni's birthplace.

Prep time: 30 min

Cooking time: 12 min

Yield: about 70 cookies

Level: low

Cost: low

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hazelnuts, lightly toasted
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 ½ cups icing sugar
• 3 egg whites from medium size chicken eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon honeyButter and sugar for greasing the cookie sheet

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

First prepare the hazelnuts: if you're not already using peeled hazelnuts, put them in a hot oven for a few minutes and then rub them between your hands or a cloth to remove the peel. Place about 70 ml of water in a saucepan, add the sugar and honey and then let it cool.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop half of the hazelnuts in a blender. In a medium-sized mixing bowl begin whisking the eggs to eventually form glossy, medium-hard peaks. Once the egg whites are foamy, begin slowly adding the sugar to the mixture, then the vanilla. When the eggs form glossy, medium-hard peaks, add the icing sugar and use a spatula to gently fold in the whole hazelnuts and the the chopped ones. Mix thoroughly.

Using a tablespoon, gently dollop the cookie mixture onto the prepared baking pan, leaving a 1-inch space around the individual cookies on all sides. Place in the oven and bake for 12/13 minutes until browned in spots (about 13 minutes for chewy cookies and 15 minutes for slightly crisp cookies).Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

Tip

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for days