{"id":24214,"date":"2012-02-29T18:32:45","date_gmt":"2012-02-29T18:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=24214"},"modified":"2017-04-18T03:00:50","modified_gmt":"2017-04-18T08:00:50","slug":"hazelnuts-bringing-sophistication-dish-near-you-eileen-goltz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/food\/recipes\/hazelnuts-bringing-sophistication-dish-near-you-eileen-goltz\/","title":{"rendered":"Hazelnuts: Bringing Sophistication to a Dish Near You"},"content":{"rendered":"

Please note: Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer. The Orthodox Union makes no endorsements or representations regarding kashrut certification of various products\/vendors referred to in her articles, blog or web site.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m thinking about joining a support group for filbert lovers. Some of us who love that nut just can\u2019t seem to find them – and when we ask for them it\u2019s always, \u201cDo you mean filbert or hazelnut?\u201d We respond, “Yes,\u201d and we\u2019re off and running.<\/p>\n

I have tried all the usual suspects\/grocery stores and have come up empty-handed. So if anyone out there knows where to find either of them, email me. I had to go online and wait 3 days to get them.<\/p>\n

For the record, a filbert is<\/em> almost a hazelnut and vice versa. They\u2019re variation of the same nut (sort of like a twin but not quite) with a slight difference in shape, flavor and size – but not enough for it to really make a difference. Filberts are usually packaged ground and hazelnuts, which are prettier, are the ones you\u2019ll typically find whole or chopped.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The name filbert is actually the \u201ccorrect\u201d name for the tree and nut. The the tree was likely first brought to America by French settlers and it was the English settlers who renamed it the hazelnut (oh those wacky English settlers, always changing names). For the purposes of this column we\u2019re going to use hazelnut, as that\u2019s the name most often used these days.<\/p>\n

My advice is to buy your hazelnuts already shelled. They are a pain to crack and peel yourself. They have a papery like skin that adheres to the nut before its roasted and most people like to remove it beforehand (but you don\u2019t have to).<\/p>\n

You should spread your shelled hazelnuts in a single layer on a dry cookie sheet with sides. Bake at 275\u00b0F for about 15 minutes until the skins begin to break (shake the pan a little after 10 minutes). Let them cool for about 5 to 7 minutes. Then place them in a clean towel and roll them back and forth until the skins start to come off. You may not get all the skin off, but that\u2019s OK; they taste delicious either way.<\/p>\n

Just know that if all your filbert\/hazelnut search efforts fail and you just gotta bake [fill in recipe here] right now, you can always use macadamia nuts in a pinch.<\/p>\n

Measuring Guide<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n