CASHEW MILK
Less fussy to make than almond milk, cashew milk requires no cheesecloth for straining. To make our vegan ice cream, you need to follow our milk formula below, which is weight-specific. These proportions will give you a 12 percent fat cashew milk, which, when combined with regular (not light) coconut milk, will deliver really lush ice cream, the kind that will make you wonder whether it really is vegan. It will be noticeably thicker than the cashew milk you would make for drinking or for cereal. If you want to make cashew milk for drinking, just keep adding water until you get the consistency you like.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
400 grams (about 3 cups) raw, unsalted cashews
Place the cashews in a large bowl and add water to cover by a couple of inches. Soak the cashews overnight. In the morning, drain the cashews; they take on 50 percent water weight, so you should wind up with 600 grams soaked cashews. Weigh them just to be sure, and for 600 grams soaked cashews, measure out 750 grams (about 3½ cups) water. (For the record: For every 100 grams raw unsalted soaked cashews, use 125 grams water—or just multiply the cashew weight you wind up with by 1.25 to get the amount of water you need.) Transfer the soaked cashews to a blender and add the appropriate amount of water. Starting the blender on low speed and gradually increasing to high, blend the cashews until smooth. If you use a Vitamix, there will be no need to strain—the milk will be perfectly smooth; for other blenders, check the consistency and, if necessary, strain the cashew milk through a fine-mesh strainer. Cashew milk will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.