Mexican Horchata Recipes

Steps:

• Pour sugar, cinnamon, and rice into hot water; stir until sugar dissolves. Cover, and let stand at room temperature for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
• Stir in milk, then puree with a hand blender, or in batches in a standing blender until the rice resembles fine sand. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth, or through a very fine strainer. Serve over ice.

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:

• The night before serving, pulverize the rice in a spice grinder. Transfer to a large bowl and add the almonds and cinnamon stick. Stir in 2 1/2 cups hot tap water, cover, and let stand for at least 6 hours.
• Remove cinnamon stick and discard. Puree the mixture in a blender until no longer gritty, about 4 minutes. Add 2 cups water and blend for a few seconds more. Set a large sieve lined with 3 layers of dampened cheesecloth over a medium bowl. Pour the almond rice mixture in, a little at time, stirring gently to help the liquid pass through, and then gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze out all the liquid. Stir sugar and salt into the strained liquid. If the consistency is too thick, add water. Cover and refrigerate. Stir before pouring into glasses.

Steps:

• Put the rice, almonds (if using) and 8 cups water into a large pitcher or bowl. Cover container and let soak overnight (at least 8 hours) at room temperature.
• Remove 4 cups liquid from the rice and almonds; reserve. Transfer the remaining liquid, rice and almonds to a blender, and blend, in batches if necessary, until solids are finely ground, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the ground rice and almond mixture into the strainer. Use a spoon to press the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. (You could also strain the liquid through a cheesecloth if you want your horchata to be extra smooth.) Discard the solids. Transfer the strained liquid to a large pitcher (or keep it in the bowl) and mix in the reserved 4 cups liquid from Step 2.
• Add sugar and cinnamon, and stir well. Serve over ice and dust with ground cinnamon, if desired.

Steps:

• Place the rice in a bowl with enough hot water to cover.
• Let the rice sit overnight.
• Next day, remove the water.
• Place 1/2 cup of rice, and 2 cups milk in a blender.
• Blend until rice is all ground up.
• Mix in 1/4 cup sugar,.
• 1/2 teaspoons vanilla,.
• 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon.
• Do the same with the other half of the ingredients.
• Strain through cheesecloth (or whatever).
• Serve 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.