Walnuts are, hands down, the nation's favorite nut.
In France, the walnut is equally popular, particularly in the robust cuisine of the Perigord region, in the southwest. As translated by Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden, the recipes are marvels of clear writing. Usually made without much flour, these little discs are rich with butter and walnuts. It's a tossup for the best one in this collection of 14, but my favorite is a deceptively modest walnut, prune and almond cake, just as good for breakfast as it is for ending a dinner party. The thin membrane covering the nutmeat becomes more tannic when dried.