La Befana - Brutti Ma Buoni (Ugly But Good) Cookies - Baked Occasions

This is not a holiday I had ever celebrated or even heard of before I had this cookbook. Also, I don't think it will become a family tradition to celebrate La Befana although I do think that Epiphany and the actual 12 days of Christmas, which fall after Christmas, not before are not celebrated well in the United States. I was also never much of a fan of meringues when I was young, nor had I even made one before. I am a big fan of pistachios and chocolate, and I find that I enjoy more things the older I get. I also find that I enjoy some things from the Baked series of cookbooks that I may not usually enjoy otherwise. In fact, just a few days ago I enjoyed the Hair of the Dog Cake with the alcohol included.

So I gave these cookies a try. I made a half batch of these cookies again since there are more recipes coming. They didn't take too terribly long to put together, and my batch turned out a little extra ugly and multi-sized with some help from Mr. T. I have found too that following the instructions as given, especially timings, really helps with having recipes get the desired results. Mr. T and I had a good time shelling the pistachios together and making sure he didn't eat too many. It's so fun to cook together with my boys as they get more interested in helping.

As far as the taste, these cookies are delicious. They are crisp on the outside, light and chewy on the inside, with crunch from the pistachios. The cinnamon in the recipe is there, but it is subtle and so is the cocoa they go together so well. The recipe can be found here on Baked Sunday Mornings with the feelings of how others felt about the recipe. These cookies are definitely ugly, but good just as the name states, however, if I were one of the three wise men I don't think I would take these cookies on my journey to Epiphany to see the Christ child because they would be a bit crumbly and not travel well.

Timing: Recipe States: didn't say , My Actual Timing: 1 hour, with help
Servings: Recipe States: 24-48 cookies, Servings For My Family:
Leftovers: Still good the next day.


Family Ratings:
Me: These are delicious and are starting to change my mind about meringue style of cookies.
Hubby:
Big Man:
Bear:
Mr. T: He enjoyed his very much and has been asking for many more.

Will I repeat: Possibly, I enjoyed them, but there are still other cookies I prefer.

What will I change: Not a thing.