April 20, 2011

Cashew cream cheese


Every now and then I come across a recipe that really blows my mind and all I can think is "you can make that?!" Recently most of these recipes have been the ones created by and for people with different food intolerance and allergies. Hats off to these people, as they truly are the most creative when it comes to tweaking a recipe to suit their special dietary needs.

When I saw the recipe for cashew cheese I thought it was an ingenious idea. Sweet cashew cream is an old favourite amongst the raw food (and vegan) supporters, but I hadn't even thought of making a savoury version of this dish. Served with gluten-free bread or vegetables this is a fabulous snack for any occasion!


Cashew cream cheese
(Recipe adapted from Ruohonjuuri)

250g raw cashew nuts, soaked*
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted
zest of one small lemon
juice of 1/2 small lemon (2 tbsp)

* Soak the nuts in plenty of water for a minimum of 4 hours or over-night. Alternatively, quick soak - place the nuts in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil. Turn off the heat and let soak, covered, for one hour. Drain the nuts after soaking.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth and creamy. Serve with (gluten-free) bread, savoury biscuits or vegetables.



Posted by Maria
Labels: , ,

49 comments:

  1. Rosa's Yummy Yums20 April 2011 at 03:43

    That spread is wonderful! I love the ingredients used.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. jacqui20 April 2011 at 03:48

    All the versions of cheese you can make with nuts blows my mind! And they always end up tasting way better then the vegan processed cheese you can buy. Yours sounds delish, I'm going to make it soon!

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  3. Mary20 April 2011 at 04:06

    This sounds really lovely Maria. It is perfect to serve wih wine to guests. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  4. Lyndsey ~The Tiny Skillet~20 April 2011 at 04:18

    It looks wonderful. I love good snacks like this. It is amzing what those that have to adapt their diet due to allergies and such will come up with.

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  5. Sarah (Snippets of Thyme)20 April 2011 at 04:28

    This would be wonderful to serve as an appetizer and all sorts of interesting crackers/breads/vegetables could be paired up with it. I love cashews mixed with the basil. The light green shade is nice for spring.

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  6. Maris20 April 2011 at 04:34

    I made something just like this last week. Looks so great and flavorful!

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  7. Yaelian20 April 2011 at 05:19

    Cashew on kyllä uskomattoman monipuolinen pähkinä,josta voi tehdä raakajuustotorttuja ja tuollaista maistettua juustoa:)Olen joskus myös laittanut sekaan acidofilus-bakteereja ja antanut "juuston" kehittyä vielä juustomaisemmaksi.

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  8. lolacooks20 April 2011 at 05:47

    Thanks for this recipe! I am not vegan but recently ate breakfast at a coffee shop called Elderberries in Los Angeles where they serve bagels with cashew cream cheese, thinly sliced onions, avocados and sprouts for breakfast - it tasted delicious!

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  9. Natasha20 April 2011 at 06:19

    Cashew cheese? Ingenious idea yes! This spread must taste so good. Love your recipes so much Maria.

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  10. Dawn20 April 2011 at 06:27

    I can't wait to try this Maria. I will see how many cashews I have and if I can I might try it tonight!

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  11. Nancy20 April 2011 at 06:30

    Love this savory version of cashew cheese - the basil and cumin combination sounds very interesting!

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  12. Joanne20 April 2011 at 06:36

    Whoa so cool! I would never have thought of that either...and it's WAY healthier than cream cheese!

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  13. Tanvi@Sinfully Spicy20 April 2011 at 07:47

    OMG..that looks so so yummy.I bet this spread would be so so creamy.As such cashews are so awesome.

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  14. FOODESSA20 April 2011 at 07:51

    This is perfect for my sensitive tummy ;o)

    I'll be trying it with some almond milk.
    Thanks for sharing your discovery...great snack ;o)

    Flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

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  15. Ruth20 April 2011 at 07:51

    This looks awesome enough to try for myself! I've seen recipes out there for cashew butter on healthy recipe blogs, but never with any interesting flavours in there, other than the cashews. This is definitely the recipe for me!

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  16. john@heneedsfood20 April 2011 at 08:07

    Not sure where the cheese comes into it but this paste sure does look tasty

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  17. Simply Life20 April 2011 at 08:10

    oh this sounds perfect with crackers!

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  18. sara20 April 2011 at 08:57

    this is on my list of things to play with for the book - so yummy! I love it. Your photo of the schwoop is perfect!

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  19. Jen20 April 2011 at 09:43

    Amazing cheese. It looks so delicious =)

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  20. janet20 April 2011 at 10:28

    I just made a cashew cheese with orange - and gosh it was divine. This savoury version looks great, too!

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  21. sugarpuffi20 April 2011 at 11:37

    i think you just brought yummy cream cheese to a whole new level! looks so delicious

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  22. muppy20 April 2011 at 12:49

    This sounds and looks really delicious. Great idea.

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  23. Indie.Tea20 April 2011 at 14:16

    That DOES sound incredible. And dairy-free...amazing.
    Gorgeous photographs, as always :)

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  24. Lick My Spoon20 April 2011 at 14:20

    well....i must say that is an ingenious idea.....sounds very yummy on a crusty bread!

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  25. Hannah20 April 2011 at 14:26

    I adore, adore, adore nut cheezes. I've made a spicy nacho cheeze with macadamias that blew my world - blogged it awhile back. Will have to try this asap!

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  26. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella20 April 2011 at 15:23

    Very clever! Maria have you tried cashew nut ice cream? I tried it a while back and it wasn't bad but I don't think that my blender did a very good job. You might have more success with it :)

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  27. Maria @ Scandi Foodie20 April 2011 at 15:30

    Lorraine, that ice cream was next on my list! I can't wait to try it :-)

    Thank you all for your comments, so glad you like it!

    Maria
    x

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  28. Angie's Recipes20 April 2011 at 18:03

    The cashew nut spread looks and sounds so wonderful!

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  29. Hovkonditorn20 April 2011 at 18:34

    Sounds really great!

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  30. Jennifer (Delicieux)20 April 2011 at 19:31

    Who knew you could make cream cheese out of cashews? Amazing stuff. And it looks SO delicious too. Bookmarking!

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  31. Tamara20 April 2011 at 21:54

    This is really genius, interesting and so tempting! Delicious!

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  32. Karen20 April 2011 at 23:54

    Great recipe! Your stuffed bell peppers look absolutely gorgeous. :-)

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  33. Krithi's Kitchen21 April 2011 at 00:47

    Love the fresh and vibrant flavors of basil and lemon...great recipe..

    http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com
    Breakfast Club - Pancakes

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  34. Katerina21 April 2011 at 01:42

    This is so original, great appetizer!

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  35. Heather21 April 2011 at 01:57

    I love the way your photos captured the texture!

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  36. Healthy Mamma21 April 2011 at 07:04

    Oh this makes me soooo happy! I can't wait to try this, I think I even have all of the ingredients in my cupboard! Who knew!

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  37. Soma21 April 2011 at 09:32

    When i saw the title of the post, I was thinking exactly what u wrote in your opening sentence:) you worded my thoughts!This is one amazing recipe.

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  38. Adrian in Food Rehab21 April 2011 at 11:19

    I use cashew butter rather than peanut butter these days. So much healthier and is naturally sweeter.

    Thanks for the this!

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  39. Trudy ~ Veggie num num21 April 2011 at 11:44

    Beautiful recipe, cashew nuts are an absolute favourite and I love the colour of the 'cheese', yum!!

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  40. tigerfish21 April 2011 at 12:14

    That's very creative! I would like to indulge in these right NOW!

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  41. Anna (Morsels and Musings)21 April 2011 at 13:19

    this looks great!

    dumb question, but you drain the cashews from the soaking water before blending together, right?

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  42. Maria21 April 2011 at 13:38

    Hi Anna,

    Yes, I had included the 'drain the nuts' bit in the recipe, but for some reason the changes weren't saved! Thanks for pointing that out.

    Maria
    x

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  43. aipi21 April 2011 at 13:43

    Really blown away by the originality- this recipe is soooo bookmarked!

    US Masala

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  44. catty21 April 2011 at 21:11

    This totally reminds me of my macadamia nut butter!!! YUM! :)

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  45. Kitchen Belleicious21 April 2011 at 21:41

    I know my eyes are deceiving me? You made cashew cream cheese? WHAT????? How is that even possible? I need to get inside your head when I am in the kitchen so I can be as creative as you are! Awesome girl!

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  46. Adrienne22 April 2011 at 02:16

    one of my favorite things! i love that cashews are versatile enough for savory & sweet. thanks for this great recipe :)

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  47. Heavenly Housewife22 April 2011 at 03:30

    This is positively inspired! What an amazing idea. I need this.
    *kisses* HH

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  48. Anonymous24 April 2011 at 03:00

    I've not tried making cheese out of nuts and now I can't wait to try! Thanks for the inspiration and great recipe.

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  49. Living Kitchen Wellness Group29 April 2011 at 05:11

    This looks SO delicious! Can't wait to make it this weekend with homemade crackers

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