Horchata

I have a big bag of raw almond in the fridge.  Unfortunately it has skinned and I am too lazy to roast it.

Decided to turned some into Horchata to free up the space in the fridge then.

I came across this recipe and it was interesting.   I have never been to any Latin countries.  The closest was only to the Mexico border decades ago and unfortunately, I never had a chance to sample authentic cuisine or snacks. 

I jumped into it as it sounded so delicious and refreshing, just perfect for this crazy hot weather.  

The process of grinding and straining was tough.   As I wanted a grit free drink, I strained it many times.

Wish I have a machine that can produce such quality.  Even the soy milk maker cannot achieve what I wanted.

While straining it, the smell of this drink was yummy.  I think the almond and cinnamon has a big role to play in this.  I couldn't wait to have a cup during the process.

Verdict: It is indeed very refreshing especially with a dash of cinnamon powder.  I like it so much that I had two cups in one go.  Totally awesome to have this in such hot humid weather.  

I also turned some of it into Horchata Popiscle for my kiddo.  

Verdict: It was supposedly to be creamy as what it claimed but I didn't feel this way.  So to me, it is more of a Popsicle rather than ice cream.

What you need:

200g raw almond, blanched
400g long grain rice
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup of hot water
3-4 cups drinking water during straining


Method:

Pour boiling water over almond and let it sit for 10-15 mins.  Remove skin and set aside.  

Blitz the rice in a blender to make it into smaller pieces.

Break the cinnamon stick and combine with rice and almond.

Pour hot water (not boiling water) over rice, almond and cinnamon.  Let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Blend it a blender.  

Strain over cheese cloth.  Add water if the liquid is too thick to sieve through.  You should get 4 cups of liquid.

Then add in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of milk with ½ cup of condensed milk and 1 tsp of vanilla.

Mix well and chilled.

Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder





If you have too much raw almond, this will be a great drink to make during hot weather.  Totally love it.

If you are game enough, do try it.  It is something special and you might also like it like I do.

Cheers!