Oooooooo – check out these fat cashews!
They’re BIG!
And whole, and sweet, and delicious.
A whole pound of them arrived on our porch, along with two more pounds of dried fruit (Bing cherries and candied orange slices), after a brief email exchange between yours truly and the people at Oh Nuts.
It took me roughly two seconds to accept their offer of free food in exchange for um, cooking with the aforementioned free food and telling you about it.
It wasn’t a difficult decision.
My husband reached into the cashew bag and pulled one out.
“Who eats unsalted nuts?!”
Me.
That’s who. I actually requested the unsalted, raw nuts.
Because raw nuts are good for you, and because I heard about cashew cream once-upon-a-vegan-dream, and I’ve been curious about it ever since.
Because I’ve heard that some people use cashew cream in place of cheese on top of enchiladas and nachos, or to make creamy alfredo sauce for pasta, and that vegans might eat pumpkin pie topped with whipped maple cashew cream.
Yes please, to all of the above.
And because my parents are on a funky strict diet that says cheese is bad, but cashews are good.
So me, them, and vegans. That’s who eats raw cashews.
Cashew cream has a smooth texture and a super mild nutty flavor.
You can make it taste like almost anything you want – its main purpose is to serve as a vehicle for fat.
Fat vehicles are our friends.
If you want it sweet, 
add a sweet component – honey, agave, sugar, maple syrup.
(I went with honey, fresh ground nutmeg, and lemon zest to top the berries).
You want it savory? Add some salt, spice, and herbs.
You can even make a whipped cashew cream by blending it with some coconut oil.
I’m just sayin’ – fat is good. So are nuts. So are pie and nachos and sugar and salt and summer berries with honey-lemon cream sauce.
Tomorrow we’re looking at heirloom tomato flatbread with fresh pesto and yup, you guessed it, savory cashew cream. . . .
See you then.
Cashew cream is the perfect vegan alternative to cream and cheese. With versatility that lends itself to both sweet and savory flavors, it's a healthy option for anyone up for a creamy, dairy-free sauce. Even if you're not typically vegan or dairy-free, give it a try - you might be surprised!
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- water
- 1 cup prepared basic cashew cream
- 1 teaspoon (or more) honey
- 1/4 teaspoon (or more) fresh grated lemon zest
Directions
Rinse cashews with very cold water.
Put the drained nuts in a bowl with enough cold water that the nust are fully covered by about an inch.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate over night.
The next day, drain the cashewsr , reserving the cold soaking water.
Place the nuts in a blender with some of the reserved water. You can determine the thickness of the cream by how much water you add. It's up to you. Start small and add more as you go. I found that the more water I added, the smoother the cream became - which is what I prefered.
Blend on high speed until desired consistency.
Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Add in honey and lemon zest and whir in the blender until mixed evenly.
Source
Sara | Home is Where The Cookies Are