Cooking with Mavea: Vegan Banana Shortcake with Cashew Cream.

Today we continue with my filtered water obsession. A few months ago, I filmed some cooking videos with Mavea, the makers of the water filter pitcher that I use at home. Naturally, each recipe called for filtered water.

In this video, I prepared my Vegan Banana Shortcake with Cashew Cream. Now if only I had remembered to smile or lighten up a little...



Since then, I've changed my hair color back to blonde (brings out my lighter side) and started welcoming berries back into the kitchen. So feel free to substitute the bananas in this recipe (it was the frigid death grip of January) for berries, peaches, or other fruit as it comes into season.

And always, always feed your videographer.

I hope you enjoy one of my classic vegan desserts, thanks to Mavea! Check back here or Mavea’s blog Inspiredwater.org to view more of my upcoming culinary videos.

Caramelized Banana Shortcake

2 cups spelt flour

¼ cup raw sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

½ tbsp. vanilla

1/3 cup coconut oil

¾ cup hot water

3 inch round biscuit cutter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together dry ingredients, and then pour hot water, vanilla, and oil on top. Combine until mixture is sticky.

Dust surface with spelt flour. Roll out dough on until it is 1 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with biscuit cutter and then place on cookie sheet, about an inch apart.

Brush tops of biscuits with oil and agave nectar. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden. Let cool.

Caramelized Bananas:

2 bananas, sliced

¼ cup raw sugar

1 tbsp margarine

½ lemon

Melt margarine in saucepan over medium high heat. Add bananas and sugar, squeeze of lemon over top, let cook for 5 minutes, stirring until caramelized.

Sweet Cashew Cream

1 cup raw cashews

Filtered water

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup agave nectar

Soak cashews 8 hours or overnight with enough filtered water to cover.  Drain and rinse cashews. Add cashews to blender with fresh filtered water, covering by an inch. Blend until creamy, and then add cinnamon, vanilla and agave nectar. Blend until combined and then strain through a mesh sieve.  Chill for 2 hours.

Assemble biscuit with banana slices and top with dollop of cashew cream.  Garnish with mint and chopped cashews.

Serves 4.