Oh boy, oh boy. Creamy cashews. Mellow, sweet dates. Bright, juicy strawberries. You will be the most popular person at the potluck when you present your friends with these little jars of happiness.
CRUST:
2 cups chopped raw walnuts
3/4 cup chopped pitted dates
sprinkle of salt
FILLING:
2 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup water
1/4 vanilla bean, scraped
2 cups hulled, halved fresh strawberries
Makes 6 pies
DIRECTIONS
To make the crust, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the dough comes together in a thick ball, scraping down the sides as needed. Divide the crust mixture among six 4-ounce canning jars and press to cover the bottoms and up the sides of the jars to about 1/2 inch under the rim.
For the filling, briefly soak the cashews and pitted dates in water to soften, about 15 minutes. Reserving 1/4 cup of the water, drain and place the cashews, dates, and scraped vanilla bean seeds in the bowl of a food processor. Blend, adding the reserved water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until creamy and spreadable.
Fill each jar with strawberries, reserving 1 berry half per jar for garnish, if desired. Top with filling and smooth to fill each prepared jar. Garnish with the remaining strawberries, if using.