Basic Cashew Cream

Included In Cookbook:

Ingredients

2 cups

Raw Cashews (halves and pieces are fine)

Water

Description

For neutral or sweet dishes, you can make this dairy-free cream whatever consistency or sweetness is appropriate for the recipe. Add more water and you have a plant-based heavy cream. Add less water (a little below the top of the cashews) and you have a whipped cream consistency. Sweeten it with maple syrup, and add a flavoring such as vanilla, almond extract, or lemon zest and it's just about the best whipped cream ever. Once it’s in your repertoire, you can vary it for many different uses. We like to use a maple/vanilla-flavored thick version as a topping for mixed berries. It just doesn't get any easier!

Summary

Yield	Cups

Instructions

Rinse cashews under cold water, then cover with water and refrigerate overnight.
Drain cashews and rinse under cold water again.
Place cashews in a food processor or heavy duty blender and add enough water to cover them. Purée until you have desired consistency. Keep in mind that the cream will thicken in the refrigerator, but you can add a little more water as needed.

Notes

Plan ahead: You need to put the cashews up to soak the night before you need the cashew cream. If you forget, fudge it by pouring boiling water over the cashews and allowing them to sit for an hour or 2.
Refrigerates for 3 days; freezes for 1month. You may need to reblend after freezing.
For a thinner cream, add a bit more water to the food processor; for a thicker cream, add less.