Chocolate Cashew Cream

As adapted from a recipe from The Blender Girl. The recipe is originally for raw vanilla cashew cream, but me not being a big nut fan thought "oh, I'll just add some raw cacao powder and all will be fine". I was wrong, the cashew taste in this is very strong so I warn you. But on the other hand if you're a nut lover (like my housemate) this may be the one for you. It is healthy, relatively easy as long as you have a blender and cheap!
All you need is cashews, water, vanilla essence, maple syrup and if you want to make it chocolatey like me, some cacao powder. I'm thinking of making some vegan meringues with egg replacer and if you like the nutty taste this would go great with the meringues and some fruit. So keep updated for the meringue recipe!
Nuts are a great source of protein and healthy fats so they're great for us vegans to eat. They're not too expensive, I get mine from Aldi or Tesco and have them as a quick snack after the gym for a protein boost.

Recipe:

1 cup cashews (soaked for 2 hours, or 15 mins in boiling water)
1/4-1/2 water depending on desired thickness
1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of sea salt

For the chocolate version
1-2 Tbsp raw cacao powder

Put everything into a blender and mix until thick and creamy.