Soak the 1 C of cashews for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the cashews.

Place the soaked cashews, water, vanilla bean paste or extract, maple syrup, almond milk, guar gum and sea salt in a high speed blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides and lid. Blend again for another 30 seconds. Scrape down sides and lid. Blend one last time for 30 seconds.

Pour into lidded storage container and store in fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Now is a good time to make sure your ice cream churning bowl is in the freezer.

Place the pecans in a 325F oven and toast for 8 minutes. Cool and rough chop. Set aside.

Place sugar in 2 qt sauce pan. Add the lemon juice. Turn the stove heat to high and stir the sugar and lemon together until incorporated (the lemon inhibits crystallization).

Brush the inside of the pan, all the way around, with the wet pastry brush. Do not touch the sugar with the pastry brush. You just want to make sure there is no sugar up on the sides of the pan where it shouldn't be. Set the pastry brush aside. Gently stir and mash the sugar clumps until all the sugar is melted. As soon as the sugar mixture begins to boil, do not stir any more. Allow the sugar to cook.

It will begin to boil. You want it to boil until it is amber in color (the degree of amber will vary. I err on the side of caution and make mine generally lighter). Boil for about 2 and 1/2 minutes.

Remove from heat. (Remove from heat before it is overcooked because it will continue cooking in the pan as you add the coconut milk).

Right away, start whisking and stirring in, very slowly, adding a little at a time, the coconut milk. The caramel will hiss and boil up, this is why you want to move slow with the pouring hand and quickly with the whisking hand. Pour until all the coconut milk is gone.

Pour into a lidded bowl/jar and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Whisk in the bourbon.

Cool to room temperature.

Place the container you'll store your ice cream in, in the freezer.

Churn the ice cream according to the manufactures instructions. During the first 5 minutes of churning, add 1/2 the room temperature caramel to the churning ice cream.

Five minutes before the ice cream is complete, add the toasted, chopped pecans, reserving 2 Tbs.

Spoon 1/2 the ice cream in a freezer cold storage container. Pour 1/3 of the remaining caramel over the ice cream. Sprinkle 1 Tbs of the reserved pecans over the caramel.

Spoon the last 1/2 of the ice cream over the caramel. Top with another 1/3 of the remaining caramel. Use a straw or end of a chop stick it in one end of the storage container. In a wave patter, swirl the caramel into the ice cream. Sprinkle the final reserved 1 Tbs of pecans over the top.

Place plastic wrap, parchment or wax paper directly on top of the ice cream, cover and freeze overnight or for at least 7 hours.