Cashew Cream Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus soaking the cashews overnight
2 cups of whole raw cashews (not broken pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water, placed in a bowl and refrigerated overnight.
Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by about 1 inch. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. (If you're not using a professional high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)
To make thick Cashew Cream, reduce the amount of water in the blender so that it just covers the cashews.
Yield: about 2 1/4 cups thick cream or 3 1/2 cups regular cream
Whipped Cashew Cream
Prep time: 5 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling
1 cup thick Cashew Cream (from above)
1/4 cup light agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup refined coconut oil, warmed until liquid
1/4 cup water
Place the Cashew Cream in a blender and add the agave nectar, vanilla and water. Blend until thoroughly combined.
With the blender running, slowly drizzle the coconut oil into the mixture. Blend until emulsified.
Pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator, covered for 2 hours.
Stir before serving.
Yield: About 2 cups
1/4 cup light agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup refined coconut oil, warmed until liquid
1/4 cup water
Place the Cashew Cream in a blender and add the agave nectar, vanilla and water. Blend until thoroughly combined.
With the blender running, slowly drizzle the coconut oil into the mixture. Blend until emulsified.
Pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator, covered for 2 hours.
Stir before serving.
Yield: About 2 cups
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Source: This recipe is available in Tal Ronnen's cookbook, The Conscious Cook.
Notes
I add Cashew Cream to vegetable soup to make it creamier without adding dairy.
Whipped Cashew Cream makes a tasty addition to hot chocolate and other desserts.
Try coconut milk in the refrigerated section of your local natural food store. It has half the calories of dairy milk, it adds medium-chain fatty acids to your diet and no cows or calves were harmed in the production of this "milk".
I have successfully used both Vita-Mix and Blendtec blenders for this recipe.
I plan to try more of the recipes in Tal Ronnen's cookbook. It's a great book.
