Jump to Recipe
Brutti ma buoni are Piedmont’s hazelnut meringue cookies, named for exactly what they look like: lumpy, cracked, uneven mounds that taste better than they look. The name is literal, ugly but good, and once you taste one you stop caring about the shape.
What sets this recipe apart from a plain meringue cookie is the stovetop step. You cook the egg white, sugar, and hazelnut mixture in a saucepan over low heat before it ever sees the oven, and that’s what gives the finished cookie its dense, chewy center under a crisp shell.
I use whole hazelnuts, toasted and chopped by hand, not store-bought hazelnut meal, the uneven pieces are part of the texture. Sugar and egg white hold everything together. No flour, no butter, no leavening.
These keep well in a tin for over a week, which makes them a solid make-ahead cookie for a holiday cookie tray or an afternoon coffee.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Naturally gluten-free with just a handful of ingredients
- Stovetop cooking step locks in a chewy center
- Keeps fresh in a tin for over a week
- Uses up egg whites you’d otherwise throw away
Ingredient Notes
- egg whites: Use room-temperature whites for better volume when whisking. Save the yolks for pastry cream or fresh pasta.
- hazelnuts: Toast and skin them yourself for the best flavor. Almonds work too, that’s the Tuscan version of this cookie.
- granulated sugar: Standard fine sugar gives the right texture. Powdered sugar will change how the mixture cooks down on the stove.
- vanilla extract: Optional, but it rounds out the toasted nut flavor. Some Piedmontese bakers use grated lemon zest instead.
- salt: A pinch sharpens the sweetness and keeps the cookies from tasting flat. Don’t skip it even though the amount is small.
Brutti ma Buoni: Italian Hazelnut Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 150 C / 300 F. Line a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until fragrant and the skins blister. Wrap in a kitchen towel and rub to remove most of the skins, then chop roughly.
- Whisk the egg whites and salt in a mixing bowl until foamy and loose, not stiff peaks.
- Add the sugar and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts until evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture to a 26 cm / 10-inch heavy-bottomed saucepan set over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes, until it turns pale gold, pulls away from the sides of the pan, and smells toasted rather than raw. This step goes wrong fast if the heat's too high, the egg white scrambles into dry curds instead of turning glossy and thick, so keep the burner low and don't stop stirring.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Drop heaping tablespoons of the warm mixture, about 25 g each, onto the prepared sheet pan, spacing them 4 cm / 1.5 inch apart.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan once, until deeply golden brown and cracked on top.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. They firm up as they cool, crisp outside, chewy inside.
Notes
- Toast hazelnuts a day ahead and store cooled in an airtight jar.
- Don't rush the stovetop step, it's what sets this cookie apart.
- Use a kitchen scale for the hazelnuts, volume measures vary too much.
- Undercooked mounds spread flat and stay gummy in the center.
Tips for Success
- Toast hazelnuts until the skins crack and blister, then rub them in a towel to remove most of the papery coating.
- Keep the stovetop heat low and stir constantly, or the egg white scrambles into dry curds instead of turning glossy.
- Space the mounds 4 cm / 1.5 inch apart on the sheet pan since they hold their shape but need airflow to crisp evenly.
- Pull the cookies when the tops look deeply golden and cracked, not pale, or the centers stay gummy.
- Cool cookies fully on the rack before storing, or trapped steam softens the crisp shell.
Variations
- Swap hazelnuts for whole almonds and add lemon zest for the Tuscan-style version of brutti ma buoni.
- Fold in 50 g / 1.8 oz mini chocolate chips after the mixture cools slightly for a bittersweet version.
- Use half hazelnuts and half walnuts for a deeper, more bitter edge to the flavor.
Storage and Reheating
Brutti ma buoni keep at room temperature in an airtight tin for 8 to 10 days. There’s no dairy or moisture-heavy filling here, so the texture stays crisp outside and chewy inside for most of that time.
If the cookies soften from humidity, re-crisp them in a 150 C / 300 F oven for 5 minutes, then let them cool completely on a rack before serving again.
Freeze baked cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve brutti ma buoni with espresso or a small glass of vin santo for dipping, the classic Tuscan pairing works just as well with the Piedmontese version.
Pile them on a holiday cookie plate next to simpler shortbread or biscotti. Their craggy shape looks good beside cleaner-cut cookies.
Crumble leftover cookies over vanilla gelato for crunch, or set a few out next to a soft cheese and ripe pear for an end-of-meal plate.
FAQ
Why did my brutti ma buoni turn grainy instead of glossy?
Grainy texture means the egg white mixture scrambled on the stove because the heat was too high. Keep the burner on low and stir the whole time the mixture cooks in the saucepan, about 10 to 15 minutes. If it starts clumping fast, pull the pan off the heat immediately and keep stirring off-heat until it smooths back out.
Can I use almonds instead of hazelnuts in brutti ma buoni?
Yes, almonds work well and give you the Tuscan version of this cookie instead of the Piedmontese one. Toast and chop them the same way, and add a little lemon zest since almonds pair well with citrus. The cooking and baking times stay the same either way.
How do I know when the hazelnut mixture is cooked enough on the stove?
The mixture is ready when it turns pale gold, pulls away cleanly from the sides of the saucepan, and smells toasted rather than raw. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes over low heat with constant stirring. If it still looks wet and shiny like raw meringue, keep cooking a few more minutes.
How long do brutti ma buoni keep, and can I freeze them?
Baked cookies keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for 8 to 10 days. I don’t freeze the raw mixture since the egg white texture changes once thawed, but baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
What’s the difference between Piedmontese and Tuscan brutti ma buoni?
Piedmontese brutti ma buoni use hazelnuts and tend to be flatter, craggier mounds, while the Tuscan version uses almonds and is often shaped into rounder, more domed cookies. Both share the same egg white and sugar base cooked on the stove before baking. The name and technique are the same, only the nut changes.
Are brutti ma buoni gluten-free?
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free since it’s built from egg whites, sugar, and hazelnuts with no flour at all. Double check your vanilla extract or any add-ins like chocolate chips if you’re baking for someone with celiac disease. The base recipe itself carries no gluten risk.