Ugly but good- is the perfect name for these nutty little macaroons.  I made mine using hazelnuts and orange peel which makes them the perfect little snack to have with both coffee and hot chocolate.  They are easy to make, the real skill comes in learning how your oven works and getting your timing right, just as you would with a meringue.

 

Brutti Ma Buoni
Makes 18-24

Ingredients
–  3 jumbo egg whites
–  200gms unrefined sugar
–  200 grams blanched hazlenuts, roughly chopped
–  zest of 1 orange, DO NOT ZEST TILL WHITE, should only be the outer layer
–  1 tsp vanilla extract

Start by preheating the oven to 180­°C.  Now grease a flat heavy cookie tray, use a little butter and sugar, or some non stick spray – set aside.

In a clean bowl, or in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer start whisking the eggs whites with a balloon whisk fitted.  Once the egg whites have loosened start adding the sugar a few spoons at a time, whisking well between each addition.  With the last addition of sugar add the orange peel, and the vanilla essence- the mixture should be at a soft peak stage.  Now fold in your chopped hazelnuts.  Spoon out the mixture leaving 1cm around each biscuit, I find a heaped teaspoon gives a nice slightly larger than bite size cookie.

Bake for about 20-minutes then drop the heat to 150°C and bake for a further 10-minutes.  They should be golden and crunchy but have a slight chewiness.

For an amazing ice cream treat crush your cookies over good vanilla ice cream and drizzle with a little melted hazelnut spread