Walnut Cream

Spanish Almond Cake

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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 2 1/2 cups

This walnut cream dessert sauce is great with any cooked fruit or with simple cakes, but it's particularly good with pears. Enjoy it at holiday dinners or just because you want to pamper yourself. The recipe is vegan, but you can make some variations if you don't follow a strict vegan diet

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Place the walnuts in a bowl with enough water to cover them and allow them to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. 

  2. Preheat the oven to 325 F. 

  3. Drain the walnuts well and blot them dry with a paper towel. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet or cookie tray and bake for 10 minutes. Let the walnuts cool completely. 

  4. Place the almond milk, nectar or syrup, vanilla and sea salt in a blender. Blend for 10 seconds.

  5. Add the nuts to the mix and blend again until smooth. This could take as long as a minute. You may have to stop periodically to scrape down the sides. 

  6. Chill for 30 to 45 minutes in the refrigerator.

Tips

  • Turn the walnuts halfway through the cooking process so that they brown on both sides and don't burn.
  • Make your own nut milk or buy one without the food additive carrageenan (a harmful carcinogen).

Recipe Variations

  • Add 2 teaspoons of maple syrup for added sweetness. (Make sure it's pure maple syrup to comply with a vegan diet.) A dash of cinnamon also adds a nice flavor. 
  • Instead of making a dessert, you can use this sauce to top pasta. Add Swiss chard or another wilted vegetable of your choice to round out the meal.
  • Swap a favorite nut for the walnuts. Chestnuts make a nice substitution, especially around the holidays.
  • Non-vegans can use honey in place of coconut nectar or rice syrup. However, honey—derived from bees—is not included in a vegan diet.
  • For a traditional creamy texture, use crème fraîche, heavy cream, or half-and-half in place of almond milk, if you eat dairy. You might also try 1 part cream cheese and 1 part sour cream. Tinker with the recipe until it meets your personal dietary goals and taste. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
118 Calories
5g Fat
17g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 118
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 92mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 176mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)