Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts

Hazelnuts, or filberts, have a dense, slightly sweet, buttery flavor that intensifies with toasting, which also loosens their papery skins for easy rubbing off in a towel. Whole or chopped, they show up in praline, gianduja and chocolate-hazelnut spreads, baked into cookies and cakes, or scattered over salads and roasted vegetables for crunch. Ground into a fine meal, hazelnuts form the base of dacquoise and other nut-flour cakes, and toasted hazelnut oil makes a fragrant finishing drizzle for salads or roasted squash. They pair naturally with chocolate, coffee, brown butter, and pear, a combination found across many European baking traditions.

Buy hazelnuts in the shell for the longest shelf life, or keep shelled nuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer, since their high fat content can turn rancid at room temperature over time. A cup of chopped hazelnuts weighs about 115 g. Per 100 g, hazelnuts supply 628 calories, 15 g of protein, and 9.7 g of fiber, which is 35% of the Daily Value, along with 39% DV of magnesium and a full 100% DV of vitamin E, the highest figure among the standout nutrients listed here. Because of their calorie density, from 60.8 g of fat per 100 g, they work best as a topping or small handful rather than a base ingredient.