QiMeal
Brutti ma Buoni
Brutti ma Buoni · ready in 1 h 5 min · 8 servings · 300 kcal per serving · medium · 3 ingredients
These Italian ugly but good cookies turn toasted hazelnut and glossy egg white meringue into crisp craggy bites with a chewy heart.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 38 min
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Serves
- 8
- kcal
- 300
- Difficulty
- medium
Ingredients · 8 servings
- 250 gHazelnut, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 100 gEgg white, room temperature
- 200 gSugar
Equipment
oven, stovetop, baking sheet, parchment paper, mixing bowl, whisk, saucepan, spatula, spoon, clean towel, cutting board, knife
Instructions
- Gather ingredients
Gather hazelnuts, egg whites, and sugar, then set out a scale, baking sheet, parchment, bowl, whisk, saucepan, spatula, and spoon. · 5 min
What to look for: Ingredients are measured and tools are ready.
- Toast hazelnuts
Toast hazelnuts on the lined baking sheet until the skins deepen, the nuts smell sweet, and the centers look pale gold. · 10 min
What to look for: Hazelnuts are fragrant with lightly golden centers.
- Chop hazelnuts
Rub cooled hazelnuts in a clean towel to shed papery skins, then chop them coarsely so some pieces stay chunky. · 5 min
What to look for: Nuts are rough chopped with a few larger pieces.
- Whip meringue
Whisk egg whites in a clean bowl until foamy, then add sugar gradually and beat until glossy peaks hold their shape. · 5 min
What to look for: Meringue is shiny and holds soft firm peaks.
- Cook nut mixture
Fold chopped hazelnuts into the meringue, then cook over low heat, stirring, until the mixture turns thick, dull, and heavy. · 8 min
What to look for: Mixture pulls from the pan and looks matte.
- Shape cookies
Spoon walnut sized mounds onto the lined baking sheet, leaving space because the meringue spreads slightly. · 5 min
What to look for: Mounds look rustic, craggy, and uneven.
- Bake until crisp
Bake the cookies until the tops are dry, rough, and lightly beige, then cool on the sheet until they lift cleanly. · 25 min
What to look for: Cookies are dry on top and release without sticking.
- Serve cookies
Serve the cookies completely cool, with their rough tops crisp and the centers pleasantly chewy. · 2 min
What to look for: Cookies are cool, crisp outside, and slightly chewy inside.
Nutrition (per serving)
| kcal | 300 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 30 g |
| of which sugars | 26 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| of which saturated | 1 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| Sodium | 21 mg |
Nutri-ScoreD
Allergens
Contains: tree nuts, eggs
Storage and reheating
- Fridge: up to 7 days
- Freezer: yes, up to 2 months
- Store airtight once cool and serve at room temperature. Do not reheat because the crisp meringue texture can soften.
Ingredient substitutions
Hazelnut
- Hazelnut meal: Use a coarse meal so the cookies keep their rustic texture.
Egg white
- Pasteurized egg white: Whip in a very clean bowl for best volume.
Sugar
- Caster sugar: Finer crystals dissolve faster into the egg whites.
