Brutti ma buoni – crunchy hazelnut cookies

Name: Brutti ma buoni – crunchy hazelnut cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200 g raw blanched hazelnuts without shells or brown skins; 150 g superfine white sugar; 75 g raw egg whites, weighed without any yolk

Average rating

0.0

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Prep

25 min

Cooking

1 h 5 min

Waiting

45 min

Total

2 h 15 min

Recipheon

Brutti ma buoni – crunchy hazelnut cookies

Author: Recipheon

Content prepared with AI assistance - Recipe reviewed by Recipheon

Servings: 10
Prep: 25 min
Cooking: 1 h 5 min
Waiting: 45 min
Total: 2 h 15 min

Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/desserts/brutti-ma-buoni-crunchy-hazelnut-cookies

About this recipe

Brutti ma buoni owe their charm to irregular shapes and large pieces of toasted nuts. These Italian cookies use just three ingredients: hazelnuts, sugar and egg whites. First, a glossy meringue is whipped, then mixed with the nuts and heated briefly in a saucepan until it thickens. Only then are mounds spooned onto paper and dried in the oven. They should be dry and lightly golden outside, becoming fully crisp once cool. There is no need to smooth them or shape perfect balls: the uneven surface is part of their character. The recipe makes about 20 cookies.

Ingredients

Servings

Base: 10

For about 20 cookies

200 g raw blanched hazelnuts without shells or brown skins
150 g superfine white sugar
75 g raw egg whites, weighed without any yolk

Steps

Heat the oven to 150°C with conventional top and bottom heat. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast for about 10–12 minutes, stirring once. They should smell fragrant and turn lightly golden, without dark scorching. Transfer to a plate and leave for about 15 minutes to cool. Keep the oven set to 150°C.
Chop the cooled nuts with a knife or briefly pulse in a food processor. Leave distinct, uneven pieces; do not grind them into flour or a paste. Prepare a large baking sheet about 40 × 30 cm lined with baking paper, without extra grease.
Pour the weighed egg whites into a clean, dry bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until a white foam forms. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly, then beat for a few more minutes. This takes about 7–8 minutes in total. The finished meringue should be thick and glossy and form a stiff peak on the lifted beaters.
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Gently fold all the nuts into the meringue, lifting the mixture from underneath. Transfer to a heavy-bottomed steel saucepan and heat over low heat for about 8–10 minutes. Stir constantly with a spatula, carefully scraping the bottom and sides. The mixture should thicken noticeably, turn lightly amber and briefly hold a trace left by the spatula. Take off the heat before it starts sticking or scorching.
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While still warm, use two tablespoons to spoon the mixture onto the prepared paper, dividing it into about 20 small mounds, roughly a heaped tablespoon each. Leave about 3 cm between portions so they can expand a little. Do not smooth the tops and do not flatten the cookies.
Put the sheet on the middle rack and bake with the oven door closed for about 35–40 minutes at 150°C, with top and bottom heat. The cookies should be dry on the surface and lightly golden. If they still look damp, dry for another 5–10 minutes without letting them turn dark brown. They will become firmer and crisper as they cool.
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Take out the sheet and leave the cookies on the paper for about 10 minutes, until they can be safely lifted with a spatula. Transfer to a rack and cool for about 20 minutes more, until completely cold. Serve two cookies per portion. Put them in an airtight container only once completely cold to keep them crisp.