Freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker at least 24 hours in advance.
Add cashews to a bowl and cover with hot tap water (not boiling). Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse thoroughly.
Combine cashews, as well as all remaining ingredients except chocolate chips, in a high-powered blender. Refrigerate blender for 30 minutes.
Plug in ice cream base. Moving quickly, remove frozen bowl and place it on the base, then pour in your ice cream mixture. Churn according to manufacturer directions.
While ice cream is churning, line a loaf tin with parchment paper. When ice cream is ready, scoop it into loaf tin and quickly/carefully stir in chocolate*. Cover with saran wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours before serving. I like to let it sit on the counter at room temperature 20 minutes before trying to scoop. *Alternatively, if easier, add ice cream to a bowl then stir in chocolate chips, then empty mixture into loaf tin. I just like to avoid as many dirty dishes as possible!