Horchata From Scratch

INGREDIENTS FOR EASY HORCHATA  ( to make 2 bottles )

• 1 C cooked white rice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 C hot water
• 1 C hot milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• just a pinch of salt Ground cinnamon for garnish when serving.

STEP BY STEP

1. Mix rice, cinnamon, sugar and 1 cup hot water
2. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour
3. Stir just to mix
4. Add 1 cup hot milk and stir again just to mix
5. Let sit for another two hours at room temperature
6. Strain through a fine sieve into empty bottles
7. Store in the fridge for up to a week
8. Shake the bottle before serving
9. Serve over ice and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon

INGREDIENTS FOR A MORE COMPLEX and AUTHENTIC HORCHATA

• 1 cup uncooked white long-grain rice
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon ground Mexican cinnamon
• 2/3 cup white sugar

STEP BY STEP

1. Put rice into a bowl and fill with water, pour through strainer
2. Repeat Step 1 until water in bowl is clear
3. Add the rice to 3 Cups boiling hot water
4. Let rest for about an hour
5. Add 2 Cups cooler water and add to a blender
6. Blend until the rice just begins to break up, no longer than 1 minute
7. Let rice and water stand at room temperature for at least 3 hours
8. .Strain the rice water into a pitcher using double layer of cheesecloth, or a very fine sieve.
9. Discard the rice.
10. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar
11. Stir until blended
12. Stir the milk into the rice water.
13. Chill and stir before serving over ice.
14. Keeps for no longer than 10 days.

OH, ONE MORE THING …

• In El Salvador, horchata is primarily made from morro seeds, not rice.
• Other flavorings that you can grind up with the rice are peanuts, almonds and cashews.
• Other common ingredients include ground cocoa, cinnamon, sesame seeds, nutmeg and vanilla.
• If you don’t have a blender, you can use rice flour instead of rice
• Use emptied water bottles for storing your finished horchata.