Horchata



Horchata

 Horchata is a drink with Spainish origins.  I had never tried it until my son decided to make a pitcher.  It is creamy, like a milk shake, but has no animal proteins.  It is perfect for vegans or just because you ate too much at Thanksgiving and need something to soothe your stomach.
It helps to have a very good blender that crushes ice. That enables you to get the rice very fine.

2/3 cup of White Rice
3 cups of warm Water
1 2" Cinnamon Stick
1/2 cup of Sugar
2 cups of Rice Milk

In a blender, grind the rice so it is very fine, like corn meal. Transfer the rice to a bowl and then pour the warm water over it and add the cinnamon stick. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.  Remove the cinnamon stick and then puree the rice and water until it is smooth.  Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve, pressing the liquid through to get as much of the solids as possible.  Discard the solids that would not go through the strainer.  Stir in the sugar and rice milk, mixing until the sugar is dissolved.  Taste and adjust sweetness, if necessary.  Refrigerate until completely chilled.  Serve over ice.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Deloris