Ayurvedic Ice Cream

Directions

1. soak cashews in plenty of water for at least 3 hours. if you forget to do that, you can boil them for 15 minutes. either way, rinse and drain the nuts carefully.
2. in a high speed blender, combine soaked cashews, soy yogurt, soy milk, maple syrup and stevia. blitz on high until smooth and creamy. add spices and coconut oil and blend again. taste the base, adjusting the sweetness level to your likings.
3. pour in a freezer safe container (ideally, a metal one) and pop in the freezer for 1-2 hours. check on the ice cream every 40 minutes or so. mix everything with a fork, trying to incorporate as much air as possible and break the ice crystals. this is the manual churning.
4. after 3 to 5 times churning the base, the texture will be harder and a granita-like consistency will form when you scrape the surface. make sure to always mix the base well. let the ice cream freeze completely, about 3 to 4 hours. I left mine in the freezer overnight.
5. when it is frozen solid, allow it to thaw slightly, break into chunks and blend them in a food processor until creamy. adding a splash of plant milk will make the job easier. at this point the ice cream is ready. you can either serve it as is, with a soft and creamy mouthful, or put it back in the freezer until scoopable (about 1 more hour).
6. OPTIONAL METHOD: if you have an ice cream machine, skip the manual churning part and proceed accordingly to your gadget manufacturer's instructions. if you don't have an ice cream maker but want to skip all the tedious job that's the manual churning, pour the base in your chosen container and let harden overnight. the next day, let the ice cream thaw slightly, break into chunks and blend in a food processor with a splash of milk. serve immediately.