Raw Butterscotch Pudding with Blueberries

I've been craving sugar a lot lately (chocolate, in particular), which is a sign to me that something's out of balance, and I've been really feeling it.  Lots of stress doesn't help either, and I think I've been overcompensating by reaching for a handful of chocolate chips (vegan, but still...) every two seconds to lift my mood.  All that came crashing down recently, so I decided it was time to do a little eliminating, so to speak.

No more sampling of gluten-free baked goods.  No more chocolate (even in smoothies).  No more gluten-free bread and cereal... for now anyway.  I'm still having fruit though (whole, not juice), and doing my best to manage those cravings.  Last night was a challenge.  I really really really wanted some kind of dessert, so I poked around in my fridge for something that could be transformed into a treat and found some chia seeds, which make a nice gelatinous pudding when soaked in liquid.  I must say, what I came up with was pure genius.

I pureed a handful of cashews and 3 dried figs in the Vita-Mix with enough water to make a thick cream.  Then I poured this into a bowl and stirred in about 1/4 cup of chia seeds.  I let this sit in the fridge for about an hour, and what resulted was a thick, creamy pudding with a taste reminiscent of butterscotch.  Seriously.  BUTTERscotch. And just as thick and creamy as instant Jell-O pudding.  mmmmm...

I topped this luscious mixture with some frozen blueberries and enjoyed my sweet treat while watching Jake Gyllenhaal chase down the Zodiac.  Afterward, Zinny licked the bowl clean.  Dewclaws up!

Raw Butterscotch Pudding (serves 1-2)
1/4 cup raw cashews
3 dried figs
1 1/4 cups water
1 Tbl coconut oil
1/4 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt
2 Tbl chia seeds

Place cashews, figs and about 1/2 cup of water in a high-speed blender, and puree on low to chop into small pieces.  Gradually add remaining water, coconut oil, vanilla and salt and puree until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and mix with chia seeds.  Refrigerate 1hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes to be sure chia seeds are evenly distributed.