my first horchata recipe

i made my first attempt at making homemade horchata yesterday. using the recipes i posted this past weekend as a guide, i used whatever ingredients i had available in my pantry for this first try.

the result was a pleasant, refreshing drink, which my husband set his seal of approval on, except he said it was a little too sweet for him. i thought it was just right, definitely not as sweet as how they make it in the Mexican taquerias. you can reduce the amount of sugar to 6 Tablespoons if you like. the lime zest adds a very slight citrus undertone. here's my first recipe of horchata, using brown jasmine rice:

Horchata Arroz Marrón del Jazmín

1 cup brown jasmine rice
1/2 cup almonds, blanched and skinned*
1 teaspoon cinnamon (forgot I did not have cinnamon sticks!!!)
zest of 1 lime (I was too lazy to measure 1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups water
1/2 cup sugar (about 7 Tablespoons)

*To skin almonds (method courtesy of The Food Section post):
Blanch almonds in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and discard water. When almonds are cool, squeeze between thumb and index finger. Almonds should squirt out of their skins.

Grind rice into fine powder using a coffee grinder. In a glass pitcher, combine ground rice, blanched almonds, cinnamon, lime zest, and vanilla extract with 3 cups of water. Cover and let sit overnight in refrigerator.

The next day, pour rice mixture into blender and puree until smooth, adding sugar and the remaining 3 cups of water. I did this in 3 batches. Strain the horchata into a pitcher using a strainer and cheesecloth. Press/squeeze cheesecloth to extract as much of the liquid as possible.

Put a couple of ice cubes in a glass, pour desired amount of horchata, enjoy! Refrigerate the rest to enjoy later.