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

• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken up into pieces
• 6 cups warm water
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Rinse the rice in a strainer. Put the rice, cinnamon, and warm water in a Vitamix pitcher. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Add the sugar to the rice mixture and blend until smooth (about 1 minute).

Pour the mixture through cheesecloth in a fine mesh strainer.

To the strained liquid add the almond milk and vanilla. Stir well and chill.