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Trying something new has always been an extremely uncomfortable experience for me. I have always gravitated toward the familiar, in pretty much every way possible. My husband cannot understand why I would want to watch the same movies I have seen over and over again. Am I the only one that enjoys watching a familiar old movie 10xs more than seeing a new one at the theater? Am I the only one that watches the re-runs of “Saved By The Bell” even though I have seen every episode at least 10 times?! They just never get old.

I think this draw toward the familiar is in our human nature, even if mine is a bit extreme. What is it about the unknown that makes us so uncomfortable? What are we so scared of?

In my adult years I have become a little more… well, adult about this. I have learned that trying new things is such a necessary part of living a full life. No matter how much I want to hide under my covers and watch re-runs.

I think my exploration in the cooking and baking world has been such a good medium for me to try some new things. Because even when I’m trying a new technique or something totally out of my comfort zone in the kitchen, it is still my safe place. And feeling successful in the kitchen gives me confidence that I can be successful with other new things.

A Key Lime Pie made of cashew cream may sound odd to those who have never tried to make a dessert like this. But I want to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try it! Sometimes I hesitate to throw around the words “vegan” and “raw” with my recipes. I just feel like sometimes those words make a lot of people shy away from the recipe because they do no necessarily follow a diet like these. But don’t do that! If I can step out of my comfort zone, then so can you! Because this is totally delicious no matter what your eating lifestyle is!

Key Lime Cashew Cream Pie

For the Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups almonds soaked over night, or unblanched almond meal (you can also used blanched almond flour if you do not care about this being raw)
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener of choice, maple syrup or honey would work best for the texture)
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • water, as needed
  1. Put almonds, agave, salt, and vanilla in a blender and pulse to form a sticky consistency (similar to a graham cracker crust). Add water 1 tbsp at a time as needed to help with the blending. If you are using whole almonds, you may have to blend for several minutes depending on the strength of your blender.
  2. Pat the mixture into a pie plate using clean hands. Press firmly to the bottom and up the sides.
  3. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

For the Filling

  • 3 cups cashews, soaked overnight (if you have a high speed blender,  such as a vitamix, you can skip this step.)
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 4 limes, 3 of them zested and all 4 juiced
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup agave (or other sweetener of choice)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. (I do not have a great blender and this took about 8 minutes of blending for me) Scrape down the sides of the blender and stir the mixture several times to ensure a very smooth texture.
  2. Pour the filling into the prepared pie plate.
  3. Place in the freezer until solid, at least 4 hours.
  4. Serve frozen with coconut milk whipped cream. (optional)

Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

  • 1 can organic full fat coconut milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp agave (or other sweetener)
  1. Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  2. Scoop out the milk solids that have separated to the top.  Reserve the coconut water left in the bottom of the can for other uses.
  3. Using a wire whisk or hand mixer, mix the coconut milk solids, vanilla, and agave until light and fluffy.
  4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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