Nut

What makes this peanut butter cookie recipe The Best? Well, there’s a few reasons actually. We call for natural peanut butter so that you can dial the sugar and salt amounts exactly. Instead of just adding roasted peanuts from the can, we roast them a second time for even more peanutty flavor. And the pan of water in the oven creates a burst of steam that gives the finished cookies the perfect crunchy-chewy texture. Now you know! This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Don’t scoff at the sour cherries in this Chex mix recipe! Their sweet bite and chewy texture are the perfect foil for all the crunch and salt and spice. But if you’re really not into it, sub mini chocolate chips instead.

These simple, flavorful walnuts go perfectly with our Herbed Baked Brie.

Try this drizzled over roasted potatoes or as a sub for mayo in chicken salad.

A robust green demands an aggressive dressing. Use any other kind of radicchio in place of or in tandem with the treviso.

This Waldorf Salad recipe, part of our Throwback Thanksgiving feature, is from our 1974 issue. As the magazine states: "Something to be thankful for is a beautiful salad chilling in the refrigerator, ready to crown the harvest table with an added touch of grace—visible evidence of the thought and preparation that goes into making a holiday meal more attractive, more delicious than ever before."

If you don’t have any (or don’t like) hazelnuts, try this autumnal treat with coconut flakes, pecans, walnuts, or peanuts—or simply leave them out.

Olive oil and almonds keep this gluten free cake moist. Eggs keep it together. Chocolate and sugar keep it delicious. Who’s missing gluten now?

A protein like sausage lends the stuffing those all-important crispy bites, and the fat contributes essential flavor.

If you want to change up the mix of nuts and seeds in these bars, go for it. Just make sure the total quantity adds up to 3 cups total (you could use sunflower seeds in place of the pumpkin seeds, sesame for flaxseed, peanuts for pecans, etc.).

This is also great with maple syrup; you can use any kind of pear or apple, too.

If you chop up the granola in a food processor, you can sprinkle it on fruit or ice cream or dip ice pops into it.

Don’t obsess over getting these exact ingredients in this precise combination. Any nut you like will work here for crunch, and you’re looking for a mix of bright herbs and enough cooked grains to make this quinoa salad recipe substantial.

For a simple summer salad, grill vegetables of your choice and serve with a hearty grain, such as quinoa or farro. This version, created by editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport, goes great with a vinaigrette created by his wife, Simone Shubuck. Get the recipe here.

Use your favorite nut—or mixed nuts—in place of the cashews.

You can use any flavor jam or jelly you like; substitute roasted salted peanuts to play up the salty-sweet angle.

Feel free to riff on this recipe and use any toasted nut or topping you like—try swapping in puffed rice, pecans, or dried currants.

This reader requested recipe is from the April 2003 issue (pictured above).

Any combo of nuts will taste delicious in this simple filling for your next batch of buttery hamantaschen.

The search for crispy trout skin stops here. Dredging the fish in ground almonds works wonders, adding a delightfully toasty exterior.