I’m sure most families have a secret ingredient that enhances some recipe that they make. In our family, and this goes back several generations on my Mom’s side, our secret ingredient is the black walnut. Black walnuts are a difficult nut to find at the local grocery stores or supermarkets and I have had to order them online. I myself do not care for English walnuts, and I can not eat black walnuts by themselves, although some people do. The flavor of black walnuts are strong and intense. I love them baked in cookies; quick bread cakes; and my favorite use is ground fine sprinkled on top of chocolate syrup coating vanilla ice cream. I also love black walnut ice cream, but its hard to come by.