Brutti ma Buoni (Ugly but Good)
Brutti ma Buoni cookies differ in each region of Italy. When I make these and tell my Italian neighbors and friends in Le Marche that they are Brutti ma Buoni they tell me that they are meringues. In Le Marche, the recipe for Brutti ma Buoni contains flour, but this version is a wonderful flour-less cookie that will melt in your mouth. It also contains chocolate which is not usually in the typical version. In some areas, the cookie will be made with hazelnuts, and you could substitute hazelnuts for the almonds. When I first made these cookies in California a number of years ago, an acquaintance who had grown up in Piemonte, Italy, said they were just like the ones from the bakery down the street in his home town. Friends from Puglia have requested that we bring a batch of these cookies along when we go to visit them. Other than biscotti, I think this is the cookie I make most often.
Ingredients
2 cups of blanched almonds toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Equipment
Food processor with metal blade for chopping the almonds
Kitchenaid or hand mixer for beating the egg whites
Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Making Brutti ma Buoni
Step 1: Toast almonds on a baking sheet. At 350 degrees this could take 5 to 10 minutes, but watch carefully because they will go from golden brown to overly brown very quickly. (Either slivered almonds or whole blanched almonds will work well for this recipe.)
Step 2: Remove almonds from the oven and let them cool completely. If they are not completely cool, they will turn into a paste when you chop them.
Step 3: Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees
Step 4: In a food processor with the metal blade chop the almonds. They should be slightly coarsely chopped for this recipe, not the consistency of almond flour.
Step 5: Place the four egg whites, sugar and salt in a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
Step 6: Fold in the almonds and chocolate chips. Do not over mix as you will be taking the air out of the dough.
Step 7: Drop the batter by scant tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheet leaving room in between as the cookies will expand when they bake
Step 8: If desired you may top each cookie with a large chocolate chip or a whole almond before baking, but I generally i love them without the added embellishment.
Step 9: Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes until they are lightly browned.
Step 10: Let the cookies cool for a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients
2 cups of blanched almonds toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Equipment
Food processor with metal blade for chopping the almonds
Kitchenaid or hand mixer for beating the egg whites
Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Making Brutti ma Buoni
Step 1: Toast almonds on a baking sheet. At 350 degrees this could take 5 to 10 minutes, but watch carefully because they will go from golden brown to overly brown very quickly. (Either slivered almonds or whole blanched almonds will work well for this recipe.)
Step 2: Remove almonds from the oven and let them cool completely. If they are not completely cool, they will turn into a paste when you chop them.
Step 3: Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees
Step 4: In a food processor with the metal blade chop the almonds. They should be slightly coarsely chopped for this recipe, not the consistency of almond flour.
Step 5: Place the four egg whites, sugar and salt in a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
Step 6: Fold in the almonds and chocolate chips. Do not over mix as you will be taking the air out of the dough.
Step 7: Drop the batter by scant tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheet leaving room in between as the cookies will expand when they bake
Step 8: If desired you may top each cookie with a large chocolate chip or a whole almond before baking, but I generally i love them without the added embellishment.
Step 9: Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes until they are lightly browned.
Step 10: Let the cookies cool for a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.