Italian Hazelnut Cookies ("Brutti Ma Buoni") Recipe (with Video)

Preparation of Hazelnuts
1. Heat the oven to 400°.
2. Add the hazelnuts to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the nuts are toasted and the skins are starting to split.
3. Let the nuts slightly cool on a kitchen towel.
4. Turn the oven down to 300°.
5. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Fold the towel over the nuts and rub them vigorously to remove the skins. You can also use your fingers to pick the skins off. It's fine if not all the skin falls off.
7. Add the nuts to a food processor and pulse until you get a nubbly mixture of smaller bits and larger chunks (even some whole hazelnuts are okay). Or chop by hand to achieve a similar texture.
Preparation of Cookies
1. Using a hand mixer or whisk, whip the egg white with the pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Keep whipping while you add the sugar a spoonful at a time. The egg whites might lose some of the air you whipped into them and become sticky but that's okay.
2. Stir in the hazelnuts. Drop 1 tablespoon/1" scoops onto the parchment-lined baking sheet about 1.5-2" apart from each other (the cookies will spread a bit as they bake).
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes (the longer they bake, the crunchier they'll get), rotating the pan 180° halfway through baking.
4. Set the baking sheet on a cooling rack and let cool completely before digging in. They might stick a bit to the parchment but that's normal.