This recipe is from my favorite functional nutritionist, mentor, and overall superhero, Andrea Nakayama. I tweaked some minor details to make it more to my taste buds’ liking. It’s a great addition to any party, especially any autumn party! Add raspberries and/or dark chocolate chips to dress it up.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked one to three hours
1 1/2 cups pureed, cooked pumpkin (I have used a Cinderella pumpkin and/or Hubbard squash)
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk (Native Forest Brand (no BPA in cans))
1/2 cup gently melted coconut butter (Nutiva Coconut Mana works as well)
20 drops liquid stevia, plain or vanilla flavored or (3 tablespoons local raw honey)
2 tablespoons liquid vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Method:
Drain the soaked cashews, discarding the water. Place the nuts into a food processor and process them until a butter forms.
Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Since all pumpkins will be of varying degrees of sweetness, you’ll want to be sure that you’ve satisfied your taste buds before pouring the mixture from the food processor.
When the mixture meets your taste requirements, pour or spoon the contents of the bowl into a glass container in which you can store the pumpkin “cheese”. (I have used a round glass pie dish as well as a springform pan – use what you have)
Allow the “cheese” to set in the fridge for at least two hours before trying to slice. You can store it covered there for up to four days.