Ingredients

12 ounces toasted hazelnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 egg yolks
10 tablespoons sugar
6 egg whites
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/8 cup chopped hazelnuts, for garnish

Directions

To toast hazelnuts:

1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
2. Layer hazelnuts in one layer in baking pan. Toast on the middle rack of oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Hazelnuts should be lightly browned and skins blistered.
3. Wrap the nuts in a towel while still warm to steam for 1 minute. remove loose skins by rubbing nuts in the towel. Cool completely.

To make cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. In a grinder, crush toasted hazelnuts until very fine. Toss hazelnuts with baking powder. Set aside.
3. Beat egg yolks and sugar until a light yellow color. Add the ground hazelnut mixture.
4. Whisk egg whites until stiff using a clean bowl. Gently blend in 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture.  Blend in the remaining egg whites until well mixed.
5. Transfer mixture into springform pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes. Cake should spring back when touched lightly. Cool on wire rack.
6. Slice cake horizontally into 3 layers. With electric mixer, whip cream until stiff peaks form; layer whipped cream between layers, across the top and sides of cake. Top with chopped hazelnuts.

Makes 1 9-inch 3-layer cake.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups walnut halves
3 cups Confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Spread walnuts on baking sheet. Toast about 9 minutes, until fragrant and turn golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool slightly. Transfer to work surface and chop them coursely.
3. Lower oven temperature to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. In a mixer bowl on low speed, mix sugar, cocoa powder and salt until slightly to combined.Add chopped walnuts. Mix until combined.
5. With mixer speed on medium, add egg whites and vanilla. Increase speed to medium and mix batter until moist. Mix well, but don’t over mix. Batter should not be stiff.
6. Using a small spoon, place dollaps of batter on lined cookie sheets.
7. Bake for 7 minutes, rotate pan and continue to bake for 7 minutes more. Cookies are done when shiny and slightly cracked on top.
8. Cool cookies on wire rack.

Makes 24 cookies.