A fine powder made by grinding dried, shelled hazelnuts. The term is often used interchangeably with hazelnut meal, though meal is sometimes ground more coarsely from unpeeled nuts. It appears in European baking, including Linzer tortes, biscotti, and French macarons, where its rich, toasted, buttery flavor and high fat content give baked goods a tender, moist crumb; it also works as a gluten-free binder in place of wheat flour or as a crunchy coating for meat and vegetables. Blanched, heavily roasted flour has a milder flavor than unblanched flour made from lightly roasted nuts with the skins left on.