An ice cold horchata on a hot day is so refreshing! But it’s not available everywhere, so why not make it myself? I started asking my Mexican friends (thank goodness I live in California!), and found that there are many variations in ratios, types of milk, sugar vs sweetened condensed milk, etc. and every family seems to have their own way of doing it. So I did a lot of tinkering and trying various suggestions, until I hit on this guessipe that has become my home recipe for horchata.

Guessipe

• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken up into pieces
• 4 cups hot water
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups almond milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Soak the rice and cinnamon in the water overnight.

Blend the mixture until it’s very smooth.

Using a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth, strain out as much of the liquid as possible.

To the strained liquid add the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, almond milk, sugar, and vanilla. Stir well and chill.