A Little Nutting Day Feast

Apples, Hazelnuts & the Beginning of Autumn

There are some holidays that arrive with parades, decorations, and entire aisles devoted to them at the grocery store. And then there are the old days that have almost disappeared. Nutting Day is one of those.

Traditionally celebrated in England in mid-September, Nutting Day was exactly what its name suggests. It was a day for heading into the woods and hedgerows to gather the season’s ripe hazelnuts. But, as with so many old country traditions, something that began as a practical autumn chore eventually collected stories, superstitions, and even a little romance.

Last year, I wrote about the history and folklore surrounding Nutting Day, including the ancient symbolism of hazelnuts, their associations with wisdom and courage, and some of the more romantic traditions connected to young people disappearing into the woods to gather nuts. This year, though, I thought I’d celebrate Nutting Day in the kitchen.

September is one of my favorite months in the kitchen because it belongs to two seasons at once. There are still tomatoes and herbs coming in from the garden, and some afternoons still feel very much like summer. But the mornings are changing. The light is changing. And suddenly I’m thinking about apples, cinnamon, warm cakes, and all the foods I haven’t wanted to bake since spring.

Hazelnuts seem particularly suited to these in-between September days. They have a rich, almost buttery flavor that works beautifully with apples, and toasting them makes them even better. Add a little cinnamon, and you have a dessert that tastes like the very beginning of autumn without feeling quite as heavy as the desserts I’ll be craving once October arrives. So for this year’s Nutting Day, I’m making an Apple Hazelnut Cake. It’s simple, cozy, and exactly the sort of thing I imagine eating after spending a cool September morning gathering nuts beneath the trees—even if my own hazelnuts came from the grocery store.

I like this cake just as it is, especially while it’s still slightly warm. But you could also dust it with powdered sugar before serving or add a spoonful of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you want to turn it into a more substantial dessert. And, of course, it goes beautifully with coffee or tea.

I love discovering these nearly forgotten feast days because they remind me that people have always found ways to mark the changing seasons. Not every celebration needed to be elaborate. Sometimes a feast day simply meant noticing what was ripe, gathering what the land offered, sharing food with the people you loved, and acknowledging that another season was on its way.

Nutting Day may never find its way onto our modern calendars, but I think that’s part of its charm. So sometime this September, perhaps I’ll make a cup of tea, cut myself a slice of apple hazelnut cake, and raise my cup to an old autumn tradition that deserves to be remembered. Happy Nutting Day!