Description
This recipe is adapted from Somer McCowan’s awesome Smoked Coconut Gouda cheese, (Part Deux). This cheese is delicious eaten sliced out of hand, or melted on a panini. It is really important not to add the tapioca and carrageenan until the end of blending, or else it can start to thicken and get lumpy in the blender.
Ingredients
2 cups cool water
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons truffle oil, or to taste
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vegan lactic acid powder
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 1/2 tablespoons kappa carrageenan
Instructions
In the jar of a strong blender, combine the water, cashews, truffle oil, nutritional yeast flakes, salt, and lactic acid, and blend until super smooth and there aren’t any bits of nuts. Taste and adjust truffle flavor if desired. Add the tapioca and carrageenan, and blend for 5 to 10 seconds until smooth.
Pour the cashew mixture into a large saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking continually. Continue cooking, whisking continuously, for about 7-9 minutes until the mixture has thickened nicely and is very glossy.
Pour the cheese into a smallish container that can contain a minimum of 2 cups volume. I like small loaf pans or glass bowls.
If properly cooked, the cheese will start to set right away. Allow the cheese to set at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate the cheese to finish setting for 3 to 4 hours.
If the cheese doesn’t set up properly that means you haven’t cooked it long enough, if this happens to you, throw it back into the saucepan and cook for a few minutes more! It’ll re-melt and then you can pour it back into the mold for it to solidify.
Notes
If you are going by taste with your particular truffle oil, make sure to taste the blended mixture before you add the tapioca and carrageenan.
