Soak the raw cashews overnight in salted water. Drain, but reserve the water for use in the dip.

Preheat oven to 120°C.

Add the drained cashews, pumpkin, maple syrup, lemon juice, oil, salt and spices to a food processor or high speed blender.

Add the water in a few splashes at a time.

Process the cheese into a thick texture - a bit thicker than hummus. Process until the desired texture is reached (at least 2 minutes on high).

Do a taste test. Add in more spices/salt/sweetener/lemon juice as you see fit. You can also add in additional flavor changers like harissa for a smoky/spicy taste. Or crushed sage for a warm herbed flavor. Or extra black pepper for a peppery flavor.

When your flavor is perfect, pour your cheese into your baking serving dish. Sprinkle a few modest spices on top. You can also top with a few pumpkin seeds as a nice garnish.

Dip poured, before baking (deep bowl).

For a shallow dish, bake at 120° C for 50+ minutes. For the deep dish where you only want to warm the center and crisp the top you only need to bake at 120°C for 20-30 minutes.

Serve warm or chill and firm up in the fridge if you'd like a cold pumpkin cheese dip.

Serve with veggies, crackers, bread cubes.