Strawberry Cashew Cream Pie

...Or cheesecake, should I say? I know, everybody calls them that but they have no cheese?! Instead they're a nutty goodness full of healthy fats and natural sweetness so this is what I call them.

It was my birthday yesterday and I couldn't imagine what the urgency was when my husband, who doesn't have a sweet tooth but loves cheesecake, asked me to make some. Well, it so happened that I didn't get to soak cashews the night before and there was no way I could get to this till last night which was just too late for making cake and it made no sense, so I thought. The moment my friends walked in the door though I understood everything. I had never had a surprise party thrown for me. Last night was the first time, yes, and as much as I was happy to see my friends we had to serve them (store bought) raw vegan ice cream for dessert because there was no cake. So guess who gets to eat it all again? Me, of course. As much as I love sweets, a whole cake is just too much even for me but oh well, after all, it's my birthday...
It's unbelievable how smooth and creamy they come out when you use a good blender. I'm inspired to make different versions of this and find people to share it with! Till then, try this one whenever you feel like you have a cheesecake deficiency (because there must exist such a thing).

Ingredients:
(For a 9 in/23 cm ∅ pie dish)

For the crust:
1/2 cup dates/raisins/any dried fruit
3/4 cup walnuts/cashews/almonds (substitute some of it with buckwheaties if you wish to use less nuts)
pinch of salt

For the filling:
1 1/2 cup cashews
~1/2 cup (or to taste) agave/honey (not vegan)/maple syrup (not raw)
1/2 cup coconut oil
juice of 1 1/2 lemon(add more of this or berries if you're blender needs a little help)
3 large strawberries
1 whole vanilla bean (you may use vanilla extract if you wish)
pinch of salt

For the "frosting":
5-6 large strawberries
2 dates (soak them if you have time)
4-5 tsp  coconut oil
juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparatios:
0. Soak the cashew for a few hours or overnight and discard the soaking water before using the nuts.

1. Grind all of the "crust" ingredients in a food processor until you get a somewhat sticky paste that can be pressed into a pie shell. Add more dates to the mixture if necessary. Press it all into a 9 in pie shell as evenly as you can on the bottom as well as up the sides. It will be very easy and mess-free to remove slices when serving the cake.
2. In a blender, process all of the "filling" ingredients till you get a creamy and smooth consistency.
3. pour the filling into your crust and spread it around, leaving a little crust showing on the edges.

4. Process the "strawberry sauce/frosting" in the blender (I didn't bother to rinse it) adding a little water if necessary but don't overdo it.
5. Spread the sauce on top of the cake leaving a little bit of the cashew cream filling showing on the edges.
6. Put your cake in the freezer for a couple of hours and remove 15 minutes before serving.
If you happen to have any leftovers, store it in the fridge because it becomes rather hard in the freezer.