on Mar 15, 2021, Updated Mar 24, 2023 You may like some more Mexican recipes: Mexican Churros, Loaded Nachos, and Mexican Tres Leches Pancakes.
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Horchata (pronounced as Or-cha-tah) is a popular Spanish summer drink that is lightly sweet, creamy, and rich. It is an agua fresca (meaning “freshwater” in Spanish). It is not only in Mexican homes but also popularly served in Mexican restaurants worldwide. This homemade strawberry horchata recipe combines the classic drink with the fruity flavors of strawberries. The addition of strawberries also gives this drink a lovely pink color. This no-cook Pink Horchata is a great refreshing beverage to serve during baby showers, bridal showers, and summer potlucks. It is one of my favorite drinks for weekend brunch or Valentine’s Day. It can be made in advance and chilled in the fridge so you can sip it later with your friends and family. Make a large pitcher, pour over some ice, and enjoy. Almonds – Traditionally, the horchata recipe uses Tiger Nuts or Chufas. But as they are not readily available, I like replacing them with almonds. I crush the almonds in a motor and pestle to make blending easier. Cinnamon Stick – Use half of the whole cinnamon stick in this recipe. I will not recommend adding cinnamon powder, as it doesn’t dissolve in the water properly and floats on the top. If you can find Mexican cinnamon, use it to flavor this pink horchata for the best traditional flavor. Use less cinnamon in this recipe than the traditional version because we don’t want the flavor of cinnamon to take over the strawberry flavor. Strawberry Puree – This is a great twist on traditional horchata, enhancing the taste and giving the beverage a pink color. If you do not get fresh strawberries, you can thaw the frozen strawberries, puree them, and use them in the recipe. Milk & Condensed Milk – These two ingredients are added to make it rich and creamy. You can also replace milk with evaporated milk. Dairy is optional! You can avoid adding these two ingredients to get dairy-free traditional horchata. You can also replace dairy milk with plant-based milk like coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, and condensed milk with vegan condensed milk. Sugar – Adjust the amount of sugar as per your taste. Vanilla Extract – Enhance the flavor with a good quality vanilla extract. You can make an adult version of this drink by adding spiced rum, plain rum, tequila, or bourbon. Add approximately 1 oz alcohol to 3 oz horchata and serve it on the rocks. Lightly crush ¼ cup of whole almonds and ½ of whole cinnamon stick in a mortar and pestle. Crushing the cinnamon and almonds makes the blending process easier. If your blender’s strength is high, you can skip this step. Add the rinsed rice to the medium jar of a high-speed blender with the crushed almonds, cinnamon, and 4 cups of cold water. Transfer the mixture to a large glass bowl. Cover the mouth of the bowl using a lid or a plate and leave the bowl on the counter at room temperature for 8-10 hours. Discard the leftovers.
½ cup strawberry puree ½ cup sweetened condensed milk 2 cups chilled milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup granulated sugar.
Chill the drink for 2-3 hours before serving. Pour horchata into serving glasses, add a few ice cubes, and garnish with fresh strawberries. Serve chilled.
