Raw Cashew Cream

This isn't baked so I questioned whether to put it here or on my other blog.  It's sweet and decadent and seems evil but isn't, so I decided to put it here.  I got this recipe here and I'm so glad I found it.

This cashew cream is super yummy!  Believe me.  It's also super easy to make.  The taste testing happened with some homemade crackers I made yesterday.  Tomorrow my little sister is coming over for our weekly "Faturday" dinner and I'll be serving little bowls of cashew cream plain, with cinnamon mixed in, and with nutmeg mixed in.  I'll report back and let you know how everyone likes those.

I couldn't find large medjool dates at the grocery.  I have to admit that I wasn't being a very patient shopper that day.  By the raisins I found some cut up dates in a zipper pouch and I bought those.  I estimated "3 large" dates best I could, and it worked!

 Here's the recipe:

1 cup raw cashews
3 large medjool dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt (I used sea salt)

Place cashews in a bowl and cover with filtered water.  Place dates in a separate bowl and cover with 1 cup filtered water.  Soak both for 20 minutes.  Drain water off cashews.  Add cashews, dates (with their water), vanilla and salt to a blender.  Blend, starting on low speed then increasing, for about 2 minutes.  Refrigerate before serving.

**edit** My sister and I fixed up 2 little bowls of cashew cream.  We added nutmeg to one and cinnamon to the other.  The cashew cream with nutmeg added was good.  The cream with the cinnamon added was PHENOMENAL.  I would definitely suggest trying this, maybe with some apples.