Cashew cream – sweet and tangy versions

You may have noticed that I have been experimenting with cooking without dairy. I was resistant to the idea of making pseudo-dairy foods for quite a while (just eat less of it, no?) but recently decided to give it a try partly because a number of my readers are vegan and I thought it would be a nice gesture at the very least. This cashew cream worked out quite well and it is versatile enough that you can play with different flavouring. So far I have used it on sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, breakfast cereal (just a dollop), in tacos and on cauliflower.

The texture is creamy, like a soft sour cream or soft whipped cream. You can adjust the texture by adjusting the amount of liquid to cashews, but generally one cup liquid works with 2 cups nuts.

To make the whipping cream like flavour I mix the nuts with vanilla flavoured rice or oat milk. You can add a little more vanilla extract if you want. You can also make it coconut flavour and mix the cashews with coconut milk or even almond milk. For the sour cream like version I use water or palin rice milk and add a little more lemon juice and salt. You can also use vinegar either with or instead the lemon juice – apple cider would be good.

The texture you get depends on the type of blender you have. Not all blender would blend it to  completely smooth texture. i recently purchased the Vitamix and very pleased with it. I makes a completely smooth sour cream like texture. If your blender or food processor doesn’t create the smooth texture you desire, use it as is or press it through a fine sieve to remove the particles.

Let me know if you try it and if you have any suggestions. I always welcome a dialogue.

Sweet cashew cream (like whipped cream)

Ingredients:

Sweet version (like whipped cream):

2 cups raw cashews

4 cups boiling water

1 cup water

A pinch of salt

1 tablespoon agave syrup (or less) agave syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Soak the cashews in boiling water for an hour or so (can leave overnight in the fridge)

Drain and rinse.

Place in a blender with the water and salt and blend for a couple of minutes. Taste and add the agave syrup and lemon juice. Blend briefly.

Refrigerate until using.

Tangy cashew cream (like sour cream)

2 cups raw cashews

4 cups boiling water

1 cup water

A pinch salt

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice or 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Soak the cashews in boiling water for an hour or so (can leave overnight in the fridge)

Drain and rinse.

Place in a blender with the rice milk and salt and blend for a couple of minutes. Taste and add the lemon juice.

Refrigerate until using.

Cashew cream – vegan sour cream, vegan whipped cream

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