Help! The mystery of nut creams.

[JinxieKat]

Ok.. I've now decided I must be doing something wrong. I tried to make one of the fruit dips in Alissa's book, the pineapple cream if I remember correctly. It came out _awful_ just not smooth and creamy at all and the taste was very nutty. So I decided that I just didn't like that type of dessert and let it go. Well I got to try a Lemon Cream pie with a coconut crust a couple of weeks ago, very tastey! So I got the recipie. I made the pie.. umm.. YUCK! Same problem as the last one. Not as bad, but still very nutty and not very creamy. I let the food processor whip that stuff around for about five minutes like the instructions said. The stuff was warm by the time my food processor was done with it. I used 2 cups soaked cashews, 1/4 cup agave, 1 cup lemon sections w/out seeds or pith. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong but something isn't right. Any ideas? I hate that I wasted all those cashews, dates, and coconut. At least the crust came out good *sigh*

Jinx

[tvillemom]

I was hoping there would be some advice! I've kinda done the same thing, and have NOT tried any of the desserts with nut cream because of this!! Hope WE get our answer!
Wendi

[mypinkbow]

How old were the nuts you used? Were they raw and organic?? I wonder if maybe the nuts you got were rancid? Just a thought. We shall wait and see what the guru's on this forum have to say.

[Revvell]

Add water and/or put it in a Vita-Mix rather than a food processor.

Revvell

[JinxieKat]

The nuts were raw, well such as it is for cashews, and organic. They smell and taste fine before soaking and got all nice and mushy while soaking. I did the pineapple cream in my vitamix and oddly the stuff I did in the food processor was creamier, but that may have simply been because I didn't run the stuff in the vitamix very long as I was afraid to overheat the mixture.

Jinx

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Jinxie,

Yes, by all means, if you own a Vitamix and you're making nut creams or cheeze sauces, use that instead of the FP!

I do and they always turn out creamier and smoother. Even when I didn't have a Vitamix and was using my Hamilton Beach blender, I'd still make stuff like that in the blender (sometimes processing in the FP first and then transferring to the blender) and as Revvell said, I'd just add more water (a little at a time) and blend until desired consistency. If you think it might overheat, try not setting it on high and using the lower setting.

[JinxieKat]

Alright, so the vitamix it is and more water. I do love cooking, and raw uncooking. I don't mind making mistakes, but it does suck that the mistakes in raw tend to be rather expensive. Ahh well, no harm done!

Thanks all!

Jinx

[tvillemom]

So, if I DON'T have a Vitamix....I should FP first...then maybe add alittle more water and put it all in the blender?? Just making sure....I thought I would save my money for a juicer, but after reading all about the dilema between juicers, and then someone recommending a Vitamix, it might have to be a Vitamix! :rolleyes: Could Santa come to my house early....PLEASE...I've been extra good!!!
Wendi

[rawpriestess]

Rawkie is right, I make nut creams alot, and they are always super creamy and smooth in my Vita Mix.

You can also make nut powder or flour and after you've made your cream in the Vita Mix, if it is too runny, you can add some nut powder to thicken it up or even vanilla powder, which will thicken it a tad, and is sooooooooo tasty.

I also have found that the nut creams thicken up (especially) cashew when you pop them in the fridge.