They can be an essential crunch in a recipe, a main ingredient in desserts or a garnish.

Macadamias, pistachios and cashews often shine at parties, but the true "workhorses" of holiday fare are almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts.

There are a variety of ways to prepare nuts, but toasting is almost universally considered the best avenue to superior flavor. Nuts also are more easily chopped if they are warm and moist. To toast, spread the nut of choice in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice so they don't burn.

"It makes the flavor richer so you can use less," says cooking instructor Deb McClure-Smith. The vegetarian's favorite new way to use nuts is in tossed salads.

When chopping nuts, a sharp chef's knife is the preferred tool, because a food processor can quickly turn at least a portion into a fine powder. To avoid this, pulse the motor frequently and stir the nuts occasionally. Buy the freshest nuts you can find, and store in airtight containers in a cool place. Nuts may be refrigerated for about four months and frozen for up to six months.

"People are so afraid of nuts," says McClure-Smith, who has heard concerns about nuts' fat content. One suggestion she offers is that when banana or other quick bread calls for one-half cup chopped nuts stirred into the batter, sprinkle one-fourth cup over the top instead just before baking. It will cut down on the total calories and still include nuts in every slice.

But with the exception of chestnuts, which have little fat of any kind, nuts have been heralded as containing primarily "good" monounsaturated fat. They are high in calcium, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and fiber, and are a source of protein.

McClure-Smith also reminds cooks they shouldn't feel locked into using the nut specified in a recipe.

"Using another will just give it a different taste," she says.

Pair nuts with drinks

For holiday parties, for gifts or just to have on hand if someone drops by, nut mixtures make a great snack to pair with a variety of cocktails and other beverages. While ready-made products are available in most markets, it's quick and easy to make your own.

Candied Nuts

• 1 1/2 cups raw or roasted cashews, peanuts, whole almonds and/or pecan halves
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Line a baking sheet with foil. Butter the foil; set baking sheet aside. In a 10-inch heavy skillet combine nuts, sugar, butter and vanilla. Cook over medium-high heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until sugar begins to melt. Do not stir.

Reduce heat to low. Continue cooking until sugar is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat. Pour nut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. Break into clusters. Store tightly covered in a refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Makes 12 servings.

• Nutritional analysis per serving: 148 calories, 10 grams fat, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 23 milligrams sodium, 14 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 3 grams protein.

Source: "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book," (Meredith Books, $29.99)

Savory Nuts

• 2 cups macadamia nuts, broken walnuts, and/or unblanched almonds
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Spread nuts in a 13-by-9-inch-by-2-inch baking pan. Combine Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; drizzle over nuts. Toss to coat.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until nuts are toasted, stirring occasionally. Spread on a piece of foil; cool. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 2 cups; about 10 servings.

• Nutritional analysis per serving: 258 calories, 27 grams total fat, 0 cholesterol, 193 milligrams sodium, 5 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 3 grams protein.

Source: "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book," (Meredith Books, $29.95)

Roasted-buttered Nuts

• 2 cups (about 1 pound) unsalted mixed shelled nuts
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil or melted butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Toss the nuts in a bowl, with the oil or butter, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast, shaking occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

Source: "How to Cook Everything: Holiday Cooking," by Mark Bittman (Wiley, $14.95)

Know your nuts

Almonds

• Source: Grown mostly in California, the Mediterranean, Australia and South Africa.

• How purchased: Whole with skins, sliced, chopped or blanched, for about $4.29 to $7.99 a pound whole shelled.

• Best food matches: A granola with raisins, dried cranberries or other dried fruit and oats.

• Hints: Sautéed sliced almonds make a great topping for pan-fried or sautéed trout or similar fish, or atop cheeses. Turn into a paste for confections and baking.

• On the Web: www.almondsarein.org.

Chestnuts

• Sources: While chestnuts grow in the United States, most are imported from Europe.

• How purchased: Found almost exclusively in the shell ($4 a pound); look for the plumpest, heaviest, firmest nuts. Also canned whole.

• Basic preparation: Chestnuts must be roasted. To keep them from exploding when steam builds up inside as they roast, Cook's Illustrated suggests scoring the shell at its widest part. Then roast at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before shelling.

• Best food match: Brussels sprouts.

• Hints: Most often roasted or cooked and served as a vegetable side dish or as an ingredient in stuffing.

• On the Web: www.acf.org.

Hazelnuts

• How purchased: Usually found in the shell or whole with the skin still on, for about $6.50 a pound shelled and more often stocked at health-food markets. (Also called filberts.)

• Basic preparation: Spread shelled nuts in a shallow baking pan and toast in a pre-heated 275-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or for about 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Remove skins by wrapping nuts in a towel and rubbing vigorously to get off as much skin as reasonable.

• Best food match: Chocolate.

• Hints: Rocco DiSpirito, star of the NBC series "The Restaurant" and author of the just-released "Flavor" (Hyperion, $35) suggests slicing a loaf of day-old bread into quarters and halving each lengthwise. Place on baking sheet cut side up. Top four slices with banana rounds, brush with 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Brush remaining bread with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Broil 10 minutes, or until bananas appear caramelized; remove from oven. When cool enough to eat, spread Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread) on the bananaless slices; sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons toasted, coarsely chopped hazelnuts and a pinch of salt. Make sandwiches; eat while warm.

• On the Web: www.oregonhazelnuts.org.

Pecans

• Origins: A native American member of the hickory family.

• How purchased: In shell or shelled and halved, in pieces or chopped; retails for about $4.50 to $9 for halves.

• Best food match: Toss toasted pecans in whole-grain dishes from brown rice to quinoa.

• Hints: Most often used in sweet dishes, including pecan pie, but works well in tossed salads and quick breads.

• On the Web: www.ilovepecans.org.

Walnuts

• Origins: The English walnut is found in southeastern Europe and Asia, while the black walnut is native to North America.

• How purchased: English walnuts are sold in the shell or in halves or pieces, for $3 to $6 a pound. Black walnuts have a slightly bitter flavor.

• Best food matches: Pears and bleu cheese; figs and prosciutto.

• Hints: Better Homes and Gardens suggests making walnut butter: Combine 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup butter, softened, and 1/4 cup apricot or peach preserves.