Simple Cashew Cream

Creamy, sweet goodness:  Simple Cashew Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
approx. 1/2 cup coconut milk
approx. 1/4 cup 100% grade B maple syrup
2 pinches of sea salt (or more to taste)

Directions:
Soak raw cashews in a bowl of water overnight.  Be sure there is plenty of water covering the cashews, because they will soak it all up!  (If you are in a rush and need to get this done sooner than later, pour boiled water over a bowl of cashews and let them soak for 3-4 hours).  Drain and rinse the cashews and pour into a food processor or a great blender (I swear by my NutriBullet for this!).  Add in the coconut milk, maple syrup and sea salt and blend until smooth.  Add a splash more of the coconut milk if it seems to be a little to dry, you want it to be nice and creamy.  Taste test to see if you need more sweetener, or more sea salt.  Adjust until you get this cream right where you want it to be. Spoon out into a dish and place in fridge (covered) to chill.

How to use it:
I love using this cream to make a morning parfait (in place of yogurt), or even for a desert parfait.  Dipping fruit into it is just divine.
It goes wonderfully with black bean brownies and a little fruit salsa (Chop fresh, organic strawberries and throw into a bowl with organic blueberries. Stir a little maple syrup or honey into the berries until coated.  Take a small handful of the berries and blend quickly in a blender or food processor, then pour back into the berry mix for a fresh fruit salsa.)
Top a pumpkin pie (or any pie!) with a dollop of it in place of whipped cream.
I also enjoy placing this cream in between fresh baked chocolate chip cookies for a whoopie pie!
Get creative with it and use it wherever you need some sweetness on your plate.