Traditional Horchata Recipes

Steps:

• Grind rice into very fine, cornmeal-sized pieces using a blender or coffee grinder.
• Transfer ground rice to a medium bowl, pour warm water on top, and drop in cinnamon sticks. Cover and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove the cinnamon sticks. Place mixture back in the blender and puree until as smooth as possible.
• Line a sieve with a couple layers of cheesecloth and strain the mixture. Squeeze cloths to extract as much flavor as possible.
• Stir in milk, sugar, and vanilla extract until sugar has dissolved. Chill completely, at least 2 hours.
• Serve over ice, garnished with cinnamon.

Steps:

• Combine the rice and cinnamon stick with 4 cups water in a blender; pulse to coarsely grind. Transfer to a large bowl and add another 4 cups water; soak at room temperature for 3 hours.
• Puree the rice mixture in a blender in batches until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine sieve into a pitcher. Mix in the sugar; chill.
• Stir the horchata well before serving. Pour into ice-filled glasses; garnish with cinnamon sticks and a dusting of ground cinnamon.

Steps:

• Heat water, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until sugar is dissolved, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Allow mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
• Pour rice milk into a large pitcher.
• Stir sugar water into rice milk. Serve chilled or over ice.

Steps:

• The traditional way to make horchata is with a metate y mano(a tradiotonal type of mortar and pestle). For those of us less adventurous, or simple those with less time, we can use a blender.
• Pulverize the rice using a metate y mano or your blender. Grind the mixture as smooth as possible.
• Combine the rice with the almonds, cinnamon and lime zest. Let this mixture stand overnight or 6 hours minimum.
• Place the mixture in the blender jar and blend for at least 3 - 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and no long has a gritty texture.
• Add 2 cups of water and blend again for just a few seconds.
• Place a large sieve over a mixing bowl.
• Line the sieve with 3 layers of damp cheesecloth.
• Pour in the rice mixture, a little at a time and keep stirring to help the mixture go through the sieve.
• Once all the liquid has passed through to the bowl gather the cloth together at the top, give it a twist and squeeze out any additional liquid.
• Now add 2 more cups of water and stir in as much sugar as you'd like, to taste.
• If the mixture is too thick, add some additional water.
• Cover and refrigerate. The drink should keep several days, refrigerated.
• Serve in a tall glass over ice.

Steps:

• Combine water and cinnamon stick in a pitcher. Set aside.
• Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, rice flour, ground cinnamon, and sugar in a blender; blend on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until well blended.
• Add milk mixture to pitcher of water and stir until fully incorporated. Serve over ice or chilled.