In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, cashew cream, {coconut milk or half and half}, sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy.
Add the vodka, or milk, and beat to combine.
Pour mixture into a frozen ice cream canister and process according to manufacture's instructions, about 20 minutes.
Scrape ice cream out of canister and place in a large plastic container.
Add the vanilla wafer chunks and lemon curd, and swirl with a spoon. Cover with a lid, and place in the freezer.
One to four hours in the freezer will give you a "soft-serve" type of ice cream. Overnight, and your ice cream will be firm, but not rock hard. Alcohol does not freeze, so your ice cream will remain softer than regular ice cream.
Notes
Yes, there is a legitimate reason why I add alcohol to ice cream. Dairy-free ice cream is rock solid when frozen, and since alcohol doesn’t freeze the ice cream is easier to scoop.
If using dairy-free cream cheese, it needs to be at room temperature or it will not blend. Beat until creamy before adding the other ingredients.
Yes, store bought lemon curd will work just fine in this recipe.
If you prefer graham crackers, use those. I always use vanilla wafers in my cheesecakes, so I use them in my ice cream as well.
Make sure you swirl the lemon curd and wafers into the corners, not just in the center.
If not using the vodka, set out on the counter for 30 minutes to soften before serving.
*choose gluten-free or vegan vanilla wafer cookies if needed.