Cashew Almond Mozzarella

This is from one of our FAVORITE books This Cheese Is Nuts by Julie Piatt.  No special tools or gadgets needed, just time, but it's worth every hour!  And your hands-on time is very minimal.

Print recipe

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1 15 oz can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1/2 cup agar-agar (vegetable gelatine) flakes 

1. Place cashews in a bowl, cover with filtered water and soak overnight.  Place almonds in a bowl, cover with filtered water and soak overnight.  The next day drain and rinse the nuts separately.
2. Bring at least 4 cups of water to boil. Add the almonds and blanch them for 1 minute.  Drain in a colander and remove the skins with your fingers.
3. Place the peeled almonds and rinsed cashews in a food processor or high speed blender (we prefer the blender to get a really smooth consistency by the end).  Pulse until the nuts are mealy in texture.  Add the vinegar and salt, pulse again a few times.
4. In a small saucepan combine the coconut milk, coconut oil, and water.  Once the mixture is warmed through add the agar-agar flakes and stir constantly until they are dissolved.
5. With the motor running on the blender/food processor pour the mixture through the top and blend until the mixture is creamy. Stopping periodically to scrape down the sides and process again.
6. Pour mixture into two 6" rectangular nonstick molds that have been lined with plastic wrap.  Let cool on the counter.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
7. The cheese cuts beautifully with a soft cheese nife.  We keep wrapped in wax paper in a sealed container for probably a couple weeks...but it doesn't last that long. 

Excellent pizza topping, wine pairing, or our personal favorite caprese salad!