Nuts

Butter

Hazelnut butter is a spoonable spread ground until oils release and the mass turns glossy and smooth, sometimes with a little natural grit from skins. Roasted styles taste like liquid praline without chocolate; rawer styles are milder and more tannic from the pellicle. Natural jars separate as oil rises—stir rather than pour off the top if you want a uniform texture. Scorching in a dry pan turns the sugars and oils bitter within seconds. Spread on toast, whisk into dressings, bake into cookies, or thin into sauces. Because roasted hazelnut oil oxidises quickly, buy small jars and keep them cold or frozen. Good butter smells freshly roasted and sweet; bad butter smells of varnish or cardboard. Major tree-nut allergen rules apply. Compared with peanut butter it is more aromatic and less salty-default; compared with almond butter it is the classic chocolate partner.