Get cracking on hazelnuts
The hazelnut is my favourite nut for baking and cooking because it has such an intense and distinctive flavour. The nuts taste best when toasted - shell them and bake in a 170-degree Celsius oven until fragrant. When cool, rub the nuts between your hands and the papery skins will come away (it's okay if some of the skin remains). Don't try to grind nuts when they're hot or you'll end up with nut butter.
For an easy autumn starter, toss endive leaves with a vinaigrette made with Dijon mustard, minced shallots, extra virgin olive oil (and a little hazelnut oil if you have it), sherry or champagne vinegar, a light drizzle of honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Pile the leaves on plates, then add crumbled Roquefort cheese (or substitute a soft goat's cheese), peeled and sliced fresh, ripe pears and toasted hazelnuts that have been roughly chopped.
The combination of chocolate and hazelnuts is a classic. When I'm making chocolate cake, I often take out about two tablespoons of the flour the recipe stipulates and substitute 1/4 of a cup of finely ground hazelnuts - this adds a subtle nuttiness that complements the chocolate. This works especially well with dense, moist cakes.
I love making chocolate truffles, but it's a lot of work to make the ganache (the truffle base), let the mixture cool just enough so it's firm but malleable, shape the truffles, then dip them in tempered chocolate. It's much easier to pour the ganache into baked tartlet shells. Everything can be made in advance - the tart shells baked, hazelnuts toasted and peeled, and the ganache cooled to room temperature, but it's best to fill the tarts and refrigerate them for no longer than one hour before you want to serve them. Make your favourite tart dough (I always use pate sucre) and, after chilling it for 30 minutes, press thinly into small tartlet pans. Chill in the fridge then bake in a 170-degree Celsius oven. When cool, carefully remove the shells from the pans. Make a ganache with one cup of heavy cream and 350 grams of top-quality, bittersweet chocolate (I buy Valrhona in a one kilo block for $180 from Oliver's). Heat the cream in a small saucepan. Chop the chocolate finely and put into a bowl, then pour the hot cream on top and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature, then stir in two tablespoons of Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur), cognac or brandy. Spoon the liquid ganache carefully into the baked tart shells and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Press a toasted hazelnut into the ganache on each tartlet and serve.
