Serve this delicious sauce instead of whipped cream with fresh berries, cakes, crisps, pies, or tarts. Or try layering it with Raw Chocolate Mousse. ^[1]Recipe contributed by Jennifer Cornbleet, from Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People, ^[2]revised edition. © 2012, Book Publishing Company.

Yield: 1 cup, 8 servings

1 cup soaked cashews (see note)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put all the ingredients in a blender and process on high speed until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Vanilla Crème Sauce will keep for 5 days.

Note: To soak cashews, place in a small container, cover with cool water. Let stand at room temperature for about 2 hours, then drain.

Jennifer Cornbleet is a nationally recognized raw-food chef and instructor and a long-time faculty member at Living Light Culinary Institute in California. She lectures and holds classes in the San Francisco Bay area and internationally. For more information about Jennifer, visit learnrawfood.com. ^[3]

• Explore more of VegKitchen’s No-Bake and Raw Sweets ^[4].
• Sweet tooth still craving? Here are more Vegan Baking and Sweets ^[5].