Brutti ma buoni
These "ugly but good"cookies might well deserve to be called ugly, but properly made they are also very good indeed
Brutti ma buoni, meaning “ugly but good”, is the jocular name Italians give to these nut and meringue cookies originally from north-central Italy (their precise origin is disputed) but now popular all over the country.
The recipe is simple enough, though you need to take some care so they come out just right. You fold roughly ground hazelnuts or almonds (or a mix of both) into a soft meringue made with egg whites and sugar. You then reduce this mixture over a low flame until it forms a sticky “dough”, which you then drop in spoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Then they bake in a low oven for about 20-25 minutes.
I have to admit, the rather lumpy and misshapen cookies that emerge from your oven might well deserve to be called ugly. But they are also definitely good. Very good, in fact, when properly made. Crispy on the outside and delightfully soft and chewy on the inside, I find them downright addictive.
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Cantucci (Tuscan Almond Cookies)
Cantucci, also known as biscotti di Prato, are perhaps the best known of Italian cookies. Made from a simple dough of flour, sugar and egg, into which whole almonds are folded, they are baked twice: once in cylindrical ‘logs’ to cook on the outside, then cut into sliced and baked again to cook on the inside and dry out. (The most common Italian word for cookie is indeed biscotto which means twice cooked.)
These cookies are rather hard and dry, but that’s the way they actually should be. Cantucci are classically served as a dessert, paired with the Tuscan dessert wine called vin santo for dunking. The cantucci readily soak up the wine, softening them. The flavor combination is wonderful.
Taralli dolci, or “Nana’s Cookies”
This is a recipe near and dear to my heart. It was one of Angelina’s signature dishes. When I was a kid, our family called these “Nana’s Cookies”, and I really thought that only my nana made them. Well, just as I found out that the honey balls Angelina made for Christmas were actually called struffoli, it turns out that these ring-shaped cookies are a typical Campanian delicacy called taralli dolci, or sweet taralli. (The better known taralli are savories typical of Puglia, made with fennel seed or cracked black pepper.) These cookies, without the anisette or lemon zest flavorings, are called ciambelline biscottate in other parts of Italy.
Taralli dolci are typically eaten at breakfast with your morning coffee, or for a sweet mid-afternoon snack. They also go well with sweet wine, as a light dessert. In either case, they are perfect for dipping into your beverage.
These cookies are quite easy to make, especially if you have a standing mixer, taking no more than an hour from start to finish. They last a good week in a glass or metal container, so you can make them over the weekend and enjoy them with your morning coffee for the rest of the week—assuming, that is, you can pace yourself…
Roccocò napoletani (Neapolitan Christmas Cookies)
Made with mixed spices, nuts and candied fruits, the Neapolitan cookies known as roccocò napoletani are vaguely reminiscent of our fruit cake, but, in my humble opinion, much more appealing in both in taste and texture. Roccocò are rather crunchy on the outside but, when properly made, soft and chewy on the inside. Though not as hard as cantucci, they are also often enjoyed with some beverage for dunking, either coffee or tea, or perhaps a sweet wine or, for special occasions like Christmas or New Year’s, a bubbly glass of Prosecco.
Like struffoli, roccocò are a fixture on Neapolitan holiday tables. They are traditionally made starting on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and enjoyed throughout the holiday season, ending with Epiphany on January 6. Of course, no one will stop you if you want to enjoy these delightful sweets off-season…
Post scriptum
Apologies to regular readers, who may have noticed this newsletter is going out off cycle. Unfortunately I had some health and other issues that delayed my usual end of the week post. Hopefully we’ll be back to our normal cycle this week…
One of my favorite names for a food!
Get better sooner, Frank!