Brutti Ma Buoni.

April 3, 2020

A variation on the Italian cookie meaning “ugly but good”

These cookies are by far my family’s favorite type of cookie.

I was originally inspired by my favorite bakery, Pastiche, to recreate these cookies (we also know them as “Chocolate Walnut Truffle Cookies”), but they are also a variation on the classic Brutti Ma Buoni popular in Italy! The name literally translates to “ugly but good” (I guess they are ugly because of the lumpy exterior, but I love them anyway :)).

They originated in central Italy and are traditionally flavored with either almond or hazelnut. This version includes a bit of almond extract!

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your creation with the hashtag #foodfinessa.

Brutti Ma Buoni.

  • 2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups white, granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted plus 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add chopped walnuts to a baking sheet, and place in the oven while it’s preheating. Toast walnuts for 15 minutes until fragrant; then set aside. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat this mixture well for a total of 7 minutes until it has grown in volume. This will ensure the cookies have a nice meringue exterior. Beat in the extracts and melted chocolate.
  3. Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt until just mixed. Then fold in the chopped chocolate and toasted walnuts. Take about 2 tablespoons of the batter for each cookie and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. The mixture will be loose but that is ok! This will make them slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

  4. Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes or until a meringue forms on the outside, but they are still slightly undercooked in the center. They will cook slightly more on the baking sheet while they’re cooling. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Buon appetito 🙂

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