Peaches with Vanilla Ginger Cashew Cream and Pistachios

This elegant raw dessert is really all about the vanilla ginger cashew cream. Gena Hemshaw created this recipe during summer time when peaches were in full seasonal glory, but it could easily be done with a variety of seasonal fruits with excellent results. Try pears, apples, berries, pomegranate, pineapple, citrus…you get the idea.

The recipe here will make more cashew cream than you need for your dessert, so store what’s leftover in your fridge and pair later with pancakes, granola, fruit salad, or even on toast. Bon appetit!

Ingredients

• 2 heaping cups ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup pistachio nuts, shelled and roughly chopped

For the Vanilla Ginger Cashew Cream

• 1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked for 8 hours (or overnight) and drained
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup agave
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Generous pinch sea salt
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger)
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• **This will make about twice as much as you need for the recipe itself. The cream is so good that I think it’s worth having extra, but you can easily cut it in half!

Instructions

1. Toss the peaches with the lemon juice and agave or maple syrup. Allow them to sit for at least an hour (or a few hours, in the fridge).

2. Place the cashews, water, agave, vanilla, sea salt, and ginger in a high speed blender and blend for about a minute.

3. Drizzle in the coconut oil with the motor running on high and continue blending until the cream is perfectly smooth. Alternately, you can use the same technique with a food processor.

4. Divide the peaches into four glasses or ice cream bowls. Top each serving with about a half cup of the cream, and sprinkle with two tablespoons of chopped pistachios. Serve.