Pickled corn in a Crock

The meek might never taste a black walnut. The outer husks of these tree nuts are a mighty fortress, resembling a petrified tennis ball. A standard nutcracker won’t make a dent.
Black walnuts must be pounded into submission, by mallets or more. Some people crack black walnuts by running over them with their cars. Back and forth, up and over, until either the shells or the driver give up. The work is tedious and the walnut shells stain everything they touch, including hands and driveways. Once open, not everyone appreciates the strong, pungent, rather bitter flavor of black walnuts. Those who do, however, do so passionately.

Black Walnut Pound Cake with Penuche Frosting

Makes one 10-inch cake

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon butternut flavoring or pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped black walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch, light-colored metal tube (angel food) pan, tapping out any excess flour. (A dark metal or heavy Bundt pan will make the crust too dark and thick and will interfere with the baking time.)
2. Beat the butter, shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer set to high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in another large bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with half of the milk, beating only until the batter is smooth after each addition. Quickly beat in the butternut flavoring.
5. Fold in the nuts with a rubber spatula.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 80 to 90 minutes.
7. Cool the cake in the pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out the cake onto the rack and let cool to room temperature before frosting.
Penuche Frosting

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup half-and-half or whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or as needed
• 1/2 cup chopped black walnuts, for garnish (optional)

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture is smooth and no longer gritty, 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and return to a boil, stirring continuously.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool until the mixture is lukewarm, 15 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Gradually stir in enough confectioners’ sugar to make the frosting thick and spreadable.
4. Coat the top and sides of the cooled cake with frosting. Sprinkle the top with nuts, if you wish.

Back when almost all fresh nuts were hand-gathered in the woods and available only in the fall, holiday treats that featured black walnuts were an exceptional delight. Black walnut pound cake is a classic brown-sugar pound cake studded with the delicious nuts. The cake is crowned with a veneer of old-fashioned penuche frosting that tastes just like the fudge-like candy of the same name. Penuche frosting is similar to classic caramel frosting, but it’s friendlier to the cook. Tedious and perilous caramel frosting can move even great bakers to tears. In contrast, reliable penuche wants only to please baker and eaters alike.