Toast nuts evenly before adding them to a bake
Separate fine pieces from larger ones and check a broken nut as the color changes.
A bag of walnut halves often contains small broken pieces at the bottom. Spread them on a tray before heating and sort out the finest fragments. Tiny pieces darken sooner than large halves. If the recipe wants chopped toasted nuts, it can be easier to toast the larger pieces to an even color, cool them and chop afterward.
Spread nuts of similar size in a single layer on a rimmed tray. Use the oven setting supplied by your recipe. Check them before the end of its suggested range, especially if the tray holds a small batch. Stir or turn the pieces to expose different surfaces. Break one open and look at the interior along with the color on the outside. A dark skin can hide the change underneath.
When they have reached the color and aroma you want, slide them onto a cool plate or tray. The hot baking sheet continues to transfer heat after it leaves the oven. Let the nuts cool before folding them into a butter-based dough so a handful of warm nuts does not soften the mixture unevenly.
