Brutti Ma Buoni

This is are Piedmontese Almond Cookies. The name translates to “ugly but good" and indeed they are delicious.

Ingredients:

 

• 11 ounces of blanched and skinned almonds
• 1 1/4 cup of sugar
• 4 egg whites
• salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Procedure:

 

1. Preheat the oven to 300F
2. Pulverize the almonds
   • Mix the almonds with 1/4 cup of sugar in the bowl of a food processor..
   • Process until you obtain a fine mixture, do not overprocess or you will end up with almond butter.
3. Prepare the merengue
   • Bring with about 2 inches of water to a boil.
   • Place the egg whites and 1/2 a cup of sugar in the bowl of a mixer.
   • Reduce the fire to keep the water at a fast simmer.
   • Place the bowl over the water, stir constantly until you place your clean finger on the egg white and sugar mixture and feel that it is definitely warm.
   • Beat the mixture in the mixer until you obtain firm peaks.
   • Add the vanilla extract and the final 1/2 cup of sugar and beat for another 30 seconds.
4. Fold the almonds
   • Fold the pulverized almonds into the merengue with a rubber spatula.
5. Bake the cookies
   • Grease and lightly dust with flour a cookie sheet.
   • Place a piping bag, without the tip, over a large glass, folding the large end backwards around the glass rim.
   • Feel the bag with the merengue batter.
   • Pipe small round cookies in the baking sheet.
   • If the cookies have a little tip, fold a clean kitchen towel, wet it and press it with your hands to remove excess water.
   • Holding both ends of the folded towel, gently touch the top of the cookies to flatten the tips.
   • Bake for bout 30 minutes (or longer), until they acquire a very light brown color.
   • Remove from the stove and let them cool for a minute or two.
   • Gently remove them from the baking sheet and spread them over cooling racks.
   • After they are completely cool, store in air-tight containers.