Horchata!

I need to get back into making things at home.

I miss it.  The summer is crazy, the beginning of the school year is insane, and now it is October, when I have 359589294 things to do because I love this month so much - not to mention that the end of the month means Halloween, plus the Day of the Dead for my Spanish classes and Spanish Club.

Madness.

BUT, I couldn't help having the do-it-yourself itch when I came across a recipe for horchata on NBCLatino.com that Flaming Tortillas had retweeted.  Flaming Tortillas has brought to my attention some fabulous recipes in the past, including the Ropa Vieja that I made last year, as well as many others that I just haven't gotten around to trying yet. 

I'm getting there.  I promise.

The thing about the recipe from NBCLatino.com, though, was that it was for "Drunken Horchata".  Yeah, I don't write about that stuff, but the recipe for "Traditional Horchata" was down toward the bottom of the page, and it sounded simple enough.

Horchata!

I made the starter the night before - not too hard at all, just a little measuring:

Horchata Starter

 The next morning, I blended the starter in the blender, strained it into a pitcher, then added water and sweetened condensed milk until perfect:

Finished Product

TA-DA!  Horchata!  Not at all difficult, and just about as good (but not the same) as what I get at Smoke BBQ Taqueria on a regular basis (unless I can't resist the agua fresca of the day!).

Horchata at Smoke BBQ Taqueria

For the original recipe, click here (I do NOT condone making the drunken version, kids!  However, I must give credit where credit is due.)



Traditional Horchata

Starter:

1 cup long-grain rice
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons vanilla*

To Finish:

Water (I used 6 cups)
Sweetened condensed milk (I used 6 tablespoons) or sugar


Instructions:
Add the rice to a bowl.  Combine water and vanilla, the cover the rice with the liquid.  Add the cinnamon stick, and let soak overnight.

The next day, blend the starter in the blender until it reaches a milk-like consistency (it won't take long).    Strain the contents into a pitcher, then add water and sweetened condensed milk or sugar to taste.  Stir well, then chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.  Stir again before serving, and top with cinnamon or cinnamon sugar, depending on your preference.

*I used Pampered Chef Double-Strength Bourbon Vanilla - it is THE best vanilla in the WORLD!  It makes everything taste so much better.  However, since it is double-strength, you will only need to use 1 tablespoon in this recipe.  If you do not know anyone who sells Pampered Chef products, you can order some here.