As someone who’s been taking pictures of their food for almost six years, I always want the things I bake to look cute. When they don’t, I’m usually disappointed, but take comfort in the fact that if it tastes good, no one really cares what it looks like. I’ve dubbed this category “fugly but delicious” and the #1 offenders on Planet Byn in the past have been blondies and anything that comes out of the slowcooker.

Well leave it to the Baked boys to actually come up with a beautiful name for this category, Brutti ma Buoni, Italian for “ugly but good”. Today we made these chocolate meringue cookies, that are full of toasted, chopped pistachios and mini chocolate chips. What they lack in style, they make up for in personality: a bit crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and very marshmallow-esque.

You make these by whisking egg whites and sugar together and heating until the sugar dissolves, then mixing in a little bit of vanilla, flour and cocoa (I left out the cinnamon), and finally folding in the nuts and chocolate chips. I had a little trouble with my first batch because I didn’t get my egg white/sugar mixture to whip to soft peaks, and I think it’s because I let it get a little too hot. I just started again and everything was fine.

The boys say you can sub in other types of nuts like almonds here, but I think if I made these again, I’d go with hazelnuts. Baked Sunday Mornings is off to a great start for 2016!

You can find the recipe here!

More Baked Sunday Mornings here!