OMG, this week is sooo exciting. Nuts are absolutely fabulous: vegan, full of healthy fats and protein, can be eaten sweet or savoury and there is a nut for every type of person (unless you have an allergy of course!). So @progressivechef you absolutely made my day when you announced the theme for week 5. It may be evident from the various roses in the photos that the only moderately free day I had this week fell on valentines day, so I thought they had to be incorporated!

So with such a versatile nature, I couldn't make up my mind about what to make, but I made a final decision and limited myself to 4 components rather than over 10 (mainly due to time otherwise there would be a lot more to photograph)!

So what are these 4 components?

Salted peanut brittle; Hazelnut mousse; Almond florentines; Pecan and chocolate chip cookies

Salted peanut brittle

My mum used to make this when I was a child so this recipe brings me back to my childhood. So simple, yet so delicious, plus it just looks pretty impressive and lasts months- like the gift that keeps on giving! I remember asking my mother to show me how to make this famous brittle of hers before I left home for university so it was always part of secret santa gifts and presents for my best teachers- a seriously versatile dish!

Layer a flat baking tray with greaseproof paper and sprinkle on to it, 250g salted peanuts. In a saucepan, heat 250g sugar with 3 tbsp water and allow the sugar to melt. Once it starts to become a brown caramel it can be stirred to ensure even heating of the contents. When the caramel is a rich brown, immediately pour on top of the salted peanuts and leave to cool.

Hazelnut mousse

I've made many a mousse in my time, but I had yet to make a nut mousse so I gave myself the challenge for nut theme- perfect timing! Hazelnuts are a such a flavoursome, naughty-tasting little nut so in a mousse, I thought this would be the ideal candidate with its distinct flavour, especially after roasting. So how to convert nuts into mousse?

Roast 100g hazelnuts in a hot oven and then blitz into a smooth paste in a food processor. Whisk into it, 180ml double cream and leave aside. In the mean time, whisk 2 egg whites into stiff peaks and combine with 75g sugar. Incorporate the egg mixture into the hazelnut cream paste and pour into small glasses. Leave to set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Almond florentines

Such a Christmas treat, but what the heck, who says this treat should be limited to just once a year! Well I guess it's quite a bit of a calorie provider, so maybe that's good enough a reason! These soft, sumptuous little delights, each mouthful followed by a subtle crunch, are a rich combination of nuts, dried fruit and of course chocolate. This recipe instantly came to mind when I saw the nut theme so I had to go with this!

Heat 50g sugar with 50g butter in a saucepan until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in 50g plain flour, 50g raisins and 50g flaked almonds. Spoon the mixture, using teaspoons, onto a greased baking tray and bake for roughly 10 minutes. Leave to cool and harden before smothering one side with melted milk chocolate. Once the chocolate has cooled slightly, a fork can be used to mark a zigzag pattern into the chocolate layer, which will form the base of the florentine.

Pecan and chocolate chip cookies

You can never go wrong with a nutty, chocolatey cookie, so this is a simple, yet effective cookie recipe, perfect for tea times- very relevant for England to dunk in our tea, so a perfect gift for my friend and her housemates for letting me be a nomad at their apartment for the week!

In a large bowl, mix together 100g butter, 100g sugar, 100g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 150g roughly chopped dark chocolate, 100g pecan nuts and 1 egg to make a dough which can be spooned into blobs on a greased baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 180C and leave to cool on a wire rack before serving or storing.