Cashew milk is made from soaked raw cashews, and is adapted from the Vitamix Create cookbook. The first time I made cashew milk, I strained it, thinking it required the same process as almond milk. Afterwards, while re-reading the Vitamix recipe, I glanced at the bottom of the page. No straining required. It was a fortunate mistake though, because by straining the milk I discovered cashew cream. I also found it was a way to make the milk and cream at the same time. Most recipes I've seen blend the soaked cashews with either more water to make cashew milk, or less water to make cashew cream, and don't require straining. I like my method better, getting both milk and cream out of 1 cup of cashews, a bargain 2 for 1 deal. The method of straining also makes the cashew milk less gritty and a little lower in overall fat content than in non-strained versions, which is a nice little bonus. <br /> <br />Even more exciting is this wonderful strained leftover, cashew cream. The cream has a neutral flavor which you can make savory or sweet and use in recipes similar to the way you would use heavy whipping cream. Containing very little saturated fat, cashew cream is something I wish I'd found a long time ago. <br /> <br />The process for making cashew milk is identical to making almond milk, but the straining method takes just a little longer, and you'll use both muslin and cheesecloth to end up with both milk and cream. You'll find pictures below of the setup I use, which is basically a strainer, a big bowl, and one piece each of muslin and cheesecloth. I use a large over-the-sink strainer because I usually make a double batch, and I find the milk drains better when it is spread out over a larger surface area. You can use whatever large strainer and bowl you have, but the important pieces to getting a smoother milk and thicker cream are the muslin and cheesecloth, and a little bit of time.

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