Like Nuts in Cookies - They Don't Need to be Lead to be Unforgettable
Nuts don’t get the hero shots. No gooey close-ups. No slow-melt reveals. But give them one bite, and they’ll steal the scene.
Toasted hazelnuts. Rich, earthy walnuts. They’re the ones adding something you feel—texture. They interrupt the sweet. They linger in the best way. They make every other ingredient shine just a little brighter.
They’re the supporting actor who gets the biggest applause.
And honestly? I almost missed them.
In my search for Canadian-grown ingredients, I skimmed right past GrimoNut Nursery more than once—assuming they were just an orchard. It wasn’t until I looked closer that I realized what they actually were: one of the only growers in Canada cultivating cold-hardy hazelnuts and walnuts with this much care and character.
In the 1867 Collection, we decided it was time to move them out of the background—and give them a spotlight. That meant finding a grower who doesn’t treat these ingredients as afterthoughts. Someone who sees them as worth the wait.
Where Flavour Grows Through Frost
GrimoNut Nursery isn’t your average orchard. Tucked into Niagara-on-the-Lake, it’s a family-run operation that’s been cultivating cold-hardy hazelnuts and walnuts for over half a century.
They don’t just grow trees—they test them, graft them, nurture them. “We grow cold-hardy trees for the Canadian climate, and we test them to see how they perform,” says Linda Grimo. It’s careful work. Slow work. But the payoff is in the taste.
Every tree that makes it through their process is a survivor—and a standout.
Precision, Not Perfection
Grafting is part science, part art. The rootstock has to match. The cambium layers have to align. The bud has to be strong, but patient.
At Grimo, it can take years to produce a tree that’s ready to give. But when it does? It produces nuts with depth, sweetness, and that signature buttery crunch—without the bitterness that can weigh down mass-market versions.
And because they’re stored cold and sold fresh, the flavour doesn’t get muted. It’s bright, alive, and full of character.
A Cookie’s Secret Scene-Stealer
Heartnuts. Black walnuts. Hazelnuts with a naturally sweet finish. These aren’t just mix-ins. They’re characters with presence. Ingredients that show up fully formed.
Heartnuts have a soft, creamy bite that doesn’t overpower. Black walnuts are bold and unmistakable. And hazelnuts? Toasty, warm, and totally unforgettable in a buttery cookie.
These are the ingredients that make people ask, What is that?
More Than an Ingredient. A Commitment.
Sourcing from GrimoNut is a choice to value flavour, patience, and people. To believe that growing something slowly—without shortcuts—can lead to something extraordinary.
As Linda puts it, “We can’t compete with cheap labour from places like California. But we can grow beautiful crops here.”
That’s the point.
So the next time you taste that crunch in your cookie—the one that stops you for a second? That’s not just texture. That’s a story. A supporting role that finally got its close-up.