I wasn’t even planning on making these for this weeks blog post – you were suppose to get Jerk String Beans with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce – don’t worry you’ll get those soon – and they are going to be worth the wait. I always have an idea of what I want to share with you, but sometimes I get inspired and end up filing away the other recipe for the future. I’m glad I did this time, this recipe will knock your socks off.
It’s almost Fourth of July and what better way to celebrate by serving up these beautiful, tasty and healthy red, white and blue treats. Trust me, no one will even know they are healthy treats they are so good. These are so easy to make and I bet if you serve this up at your July 4th BBQ people will be begging for the recipe. The cashew date cream isn’t stark white, but still gives the red, white and blue feel I was looking for. I could have made a coconut whipped cream – that would have been more white – but I felt this was the way to go. The cashew date cream is so sinfully good. It compliments the sweetness of the strawberries and tartness of the blueberries. It is the perfect marriage of flavors – I had to fend off my family from eating them so I could just get one good picture! My 3 year old was so happy I was done, she ate every single one off the plate, minus the one my poor husband got. I have plenty of leftover cream, strawberries and blueberries in the fridge to make more today, so he’s happy.
I am going to be making the cashew date cream for other recipes since it is so good. It would make a good icing for cupcakes or banana bread muffins. I’m going to make my Healthy Vegan Banana Bread into muffins to update the recipe for you, and of course a gluten-free version of both – I am working on it. Can I make home-made twinkies and fill it with this? Oh, yes, I’m so on it!
These are also great for a tea party, shower, dinner party – actually you can serve them at any party, or anytime. =) Make the cashew cream sauce ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.
- 1 pint of fresh strawberries, washed and dried
- 1 pint of fresh blueberries, washed and dried
- 1 cup cashew date cream (recipe follows)
- Cut a thin slice from bottom of strawberries so they stand upright. Remove tops of strawberries with a paring knife and gently scoop out some of the inside of the strawberries. Another option is to not cut off the top off the strawberries, but cut the strawberries from the top into wedges, like a + sign ( but not all the way through).
- Use a pastry bag with a decorative tip, or fill a zip lock bag with one corner cut off with cashew date cream.
- Fill the strawberries with the cream and top with a blueberry. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Serve immediately on a pretty platter (strawberries will get mushy if you make too far ahead of time).
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for 4 hours
- 1 cup pitted dates, preferably Medjool, soaked in cold water for 4 hours
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 pinches ground cinnamon, to taste
- Non-dairy unsweetened vanilla milk, for thinning
- Soak cashews and dates separately in cold water for 4 hours.
- Drain cashew and dates. Add dates, cashews, vanilla and cinnamon to high-powered blender or food processor fitted with S-shaped blade.
- Puree until creamy and smooth adding a tiny bit of non-dairy milk if too thick.
- Chill in Refrigerator minimum 1 hour or until ready to use.
Enjoy!
Jennifer