Brutti e Buoni: Ugly and Delicious Hazelnut Cookies with Coconut Sugar

Brutti e buoni: hazelnut cookies ugly but delicious !

This is another recipe from my childhood. In Italy there are several versions of this cookie. Some are more rustic, some more refined, but all are very nutty and have a bit of a crunch.

I am completely in love with the flavor of hazelnut, especially toasted. It just flashes me back to age 4, when we had a restaurant and bar, and in the bar was a small gumball machine that sold roasted hazelnuts instead of candy (that was my candy!)….

You could buy pre-roasted hazelnuts for this recipe, but the best nutritional value will come from raw hazelnuts, soaked for a few hours and then dried in a low oven or dehydrator overnight. After drying them, lightly roast them in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes. Let cool before grinding.

For this recipe I broke my rules and used some sugar. The sugar I choose to use is a sustainably harvested coconut sugar.

Is coconut sugar good or bad for me?

Coconut Sugar is a type of sugar extracted from the sap of the coconut plant

. As it is an unrefined sugar it still contains minerals like Iron, Potassium and Zinc, antioxidants like polyphenols and flavonoids and has a glycemic index of around 35, which makes it a relatively low GI food.

A study form the state of Trinidad shows the nutritional content and glycemic index of coconut sugar and syrup.

With all this said, coconut sugar is still a sugar, and should be used in extreme moderation. I usually advocate the use of NO sugar at all, but I also realize that  in our modern world is very difficult to completely eliminate it from the diet. Coconut sugar and raw local honey are the best alternative when a little sweet is required. I also use Stevia occasionally, although the flavor is not always compatible with a recipe.

Which coconut sugar should I buy?

I recommend Wholesome Sweeteners brand of coconut sugar for a couple of reasons: Number one: sustainability! Number two: Never GMO! Number three: BPA-free packaging!

Brutti e Buoni: hazelnut cookies with coconut sugar!

 

Author: Vivica Menegaz

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These cookies in Italy are called "brutti e buoni": Ugly and delicious. They are easy to make and can be kept out of the refrigerator for about a week.

Ingredients

• 3 cups hazelnut flour (or you can make it from about ½ pound of whole hazelnuts)
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• ¼ cup fine tapioca flour
• 2 pastured organic eggs
• ½ cup organic grass fed butter

Instructions

1. To make hazelnut flour just put about 4 cups of hazelnuts into a food processor and grind until a semi-fine texture is achieved. The texture of the cookies can vary from fine to coarse and chunky, it depends on personal preference.
2. Let the butter soften at room temperature.
3. Add all the ingredients to the food processor bowl and mix together until it starts forming a dough-like ball.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
6. Scoop little balls of dough onto a table-spoon and place on the cookie sheet.
7. the shape should not be too smooth, so they can turn out "ugly"!
8. Bake for 15 minutes.
9. Let cool before removing from parchment paper.

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This recipe was featured on Healing with Food Friday