The UGLY BUT GOOD are traditional cookies made with egg whites, nuts and sugar — quick and simple to prepare. They are perfect to enjoy during a sweet break in the day, but also as after-dinner treats to serve with coffee. Their origins are not entirely clear: some claim they originated in Gavirate, a municipality in the Varese area, while others believe they were born in the Piedmont municipality of Borgomanero. Whatever their true origin, we can only be grateful to whoever created this delicacy.
They are called “ugly” because of their irregular shape, but “good” because when you bite into them they release all their crispness and aroma, thanks to the nuts. Besides being very tasty, these cookies are ideal for using up egg whites left over from previous preparations and offering your loved ones a product rich in nutrients beneficial to health. In short, good for the palate and good for the heart.
SEE OTHER COOKIES MADE WITH EGG WHITES:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12 ugly but good cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 125.63 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 14.89 (g) of which sugars 13.57 (g)
- Proteins 2.39 (g)
- Fat 7.02 (g) of which saturated 0.34 (g)of which unsaturated 4.06 (g)
- Fibers 1.07 (g)
- Sodium 40.05 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 25 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites (at room temperature)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup almonds (about 1.8 oz)
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts (about 1.8 oz)
- 1/3 cup walnut kernels (about 1.8 oz)
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- Electric beaters
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Steps
To make the UGLY BUT GOOD, toast the nuts in a preheated oven at 356°F for 5 minutes, or at least until they begin to sweat. Remove from the oven, let cool and coarsely chop them with a food processor or a knife.
You can replace whole nuts with chopped nut pieces (granella).
Beat the egg whites kept at room temperature with a pinch of salt. As soon as they start to foam, add half of the sugar and mix for 2 minutes.
Then add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, for at least 5 minutes.
Fold the chopped nuts into the egg whites gently.
Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan, place it over low heat and cook everything over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes or until it begins to dry slightly and take on some color.
Remove from the heat and, immediately, use a teaspoon to make small mounds and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake the ugly but good cookies in a preheated conventional (static) oven at 302°F and bake for about 20 minutes, checking the baking visually in the final minutes.
The ugly but good cookies should be dry and should come away easily from the baking sheet; only then will they be ready.
STORAGE
UGLY BUT GOOD cookies remain crisp for up to 6-7 days if stored in a tin box or an airtight jar.
