These unassuming, delicate little puffs of meringue studded with nuts and, in this case, chocolate, are kind of ugly. But they're also crunchy, chewy and downright delicious. 

One of the things I love about native Italians is they say what they mean. 

Take these cookies, for instance. They're called Brutti ma Buoni , which means "ugly, but good." Don't you love it? These unassuming, delicate little puffs of meringue studded with nuts and, in this case, chocolate, are kind of ugly. But they're also crunchy, chewy and downright delicious. 

I had them on the menu at my last cooking class, and as my students were "oohing" and "aahing," it struck me that I had never shared them with you. And, what a crying shame, because they're one of my favorites and super easy to make. 

Traditional Brutti ma Buoni are usually made with almonds, although any kind of nuts can be used. The more nuts you add, the more bumpy and "brutti" your cookies will be. For these, I used almonds and chopped Toblerone chocolate bars, triangular bricks of Swiss milk chocolate laced with nougat, almonds and honey. Find them in the candy aisle at your neighborhood Publix. But any kind of crunchy, nutty chocolate bar will work. You could even leave out the chocolate and add citrus zest, candied ginger or minced dried fruit for an equally tasty result. 

Brutti ma Buoni were a staple on the holiday cookie trays my mother and grandmother distributed each year. As a child, I remember sneaking around to pluck them off the trays when no one was looking.
 
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/dec/15/151412/FLNEWSO5-brutti-ma-buoni-cookies-delicate-little-p/
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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