Cashews are one nut you’ll want to bust over and over. They yield the creamiest cream you’ll ever want drizzled on your taco, or all up in just about everything.

I don’t know how I ever got along without them. This is a basic recipe you can tweak to your heart’s delight. If I’m making Mexican crema for tacos, I’ll use lime juice, and even double the amount (i.e. use a whole lime). Lemon is preferable if you’re swapping it for dairy like yogurt or cheese sauce. The apple cider vinegar adds a nice mouthfeel as well as a slight sour-cream tang, but can be omitted altogether to take the edge off.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 2 hours (up to overnight)*
• juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/4 cup plus 2 T of water, more as needed

Place all the ingredients in a mini blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add water as needed to achieve desired thickness. Chill immediately if using as crema – it’s even more delicious cold. Keeps in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

*In a hurry? Soak them in very hot water for 15 minutes. I prefer to take my time.