Cashew Cream Cheese (vegan, gluten-free)

This delicious, creamy spread can be use creatively, in spreads, dips, and any recipe that calls for cream cheese. If you are planning to make a savory style cream cheese flavor, use the recipe as is. If you are planning to make a sweet style cream cheese flavor, you may need to omit the lemon and/or vinegar depending on your ingredients. For example, chocolate doesn't blend with lemon well.

Soak overnight:
2 cups raw organic cashews
4 cups water

Drain cashews and place in a food processor, add:

Juice from 1 organic lemon
1 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
water to create desired thickness (up to 1/2 cup seems to be a good range)
sea salt to taste (about 1/4-1/2 tsp)

Process until smooth, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate to thicken a bit more. You can also process for less time, so it is a bit more 'lumpy' and use to replace cottage cheese and ricotta in many recipes.

*gluten-free and soy-free