Brutti ma Buoni
MAKES ABOUT 20 COOKIES
4½ cups blanched hazelnuts, divided into 2 equal piles
Butter and flour for the baking sheet
1 cup sugar
8 egg whites, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tbsp. honey
1 large pinch of ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 250°F.
Butter and flour a baking sheet.
In a food processor with the blade attachment, finely chop one pile of nuts. Chop the other pile a little bit more coarsely. Combine the finely chopped nuts with ½ the sugar.
Beat the egg whites to a medium peak in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a bowl using a handheld electric mixer, then add the remaining sugar and keep beating until the sugar is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla, honey, cinnamon, and the coarsely chopped nuts, mix to incorporate, and use a flat spatula to transfer the contents of the bowl to a large nonstick pan or enamel casserole. Cook over low heat for 5–10 minutes to dry the dough out a bit.
Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, form small balls of dough and drop them onto the buttered, floured baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 35–40 minutes, then raise the oven temperature to 300°F and bake for another 45 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Once they look crisp, let them rest on a cooling rack, or forget that and eat them right away, while they are still hot, with milk.