Horchata Casera

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
• 3 cups cold water (for soaking)
• 2 cinnamon sticks (Mexican canela preferred)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar (adjust to taste)
• 3 cups cold water (for blending and mixing)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or water (for thinning)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for garnish)
• Ice cubes for serving

Instructions

1. Rinse 1 cup of white rice under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear to remove excess starch.
2. Place the rinsed rice and 2 cinnamon sticks into a large bowl or pitcher. Add 3 cups of cold water, stir briefly, cover, and let soak in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
3. After soaking, remove the cinnamon sticks and pour the rice along with its soaking water into a high-powered blender.
4. Blend the rice and soaking water on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is as smooth and milky as possible.
5. Place a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a thin cotton cloth over a large pitcher. Pour the blended rice mixture through the strainer, pressing gently on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the rice solids.
6. Add 3 more cups of cold water, 1 cup of almond milk or water, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the strained liquid in the pitcher.
7. Stir vigorously until all the sugar is fully dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding more sugar if desired.
8. Refrigerate the horchata until thoroughly chilled, at least 30 minutes. Stir or shake well before serving as the liquid tends to separate.
9. Fill tall glasses with ice cubes and pour the chilled horchata over the ice. Dust each glass lightly with ground cinnamon and serve immediately.