The filbert and hazelnut belong to the same genus, and the distinctions between them are so minor that they can be used interchangeably. The filbert is said to ripen on August 22, which is St. Philbert’s Day …. From whence cometh the name of the nut. Filberts are small nuts with a smooth brown shell that yields easily to a nutcracker; there is no excuse for buying them preshelled! They are crisp, compact, and utterly delicious. Rich in protein and unsaturated oil, they pack such a lot of nutrition into a small space that they should be eaten in moderation. Add filberts to muesli cereal, cookies, and tortes.
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FILBERT TORTE
4 eggs, separated
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (preferably raw sugar)
Zest of 1 lemon
3 cups ground filberts
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Beat egg yolks until they are foamy. Pulverize the sugar in a blender, mix with lemon zest, then beat into the egg yolks until very light. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until they are stiff but not dry. Stir 4 tablespoons of the beaten egg whites gently into egg yolk mixture.
3. Fold the ground nuts (2 cups shelled filberts ground in a blender will yield the 3 cups group nuts called for) into the egg whites, then fold the whites and nuts into the egg yolks. Put into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden. Cool before removing from pan.
4. Serves six.
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