Any drink that rests comfortably in an ombré state is 100% something I can get on board with. This is one of those recipes that makes me kick myself over the fact that it took me so long to discover. Something this simple and this delicious should have been on my radar months ago.
My first horchata recipe posted was just over a year ago, and I’ve been making it steadily ever since. If you’re unfamiliar with the drink, it is a creamy, sweet, cinnamon-spiced drink made from rice and almonds. It’s dead simple to make (you just need to invest a bit of time), and best served chilled over ice on a hot summer day.
I don’t know why it took me so long to combine it with a glass of smooth cold brew coffee, but man. This is the stuff my iced coffee dreams are made of.
I never used to be a big coffee drinker. I was more of a tea person, and deep down, I still am. BUT, my first taste of cold brew – with its less bitter, sweeter taste – had me hooked, and since then it’s been a gradual obsession progression. I crave a cup of coffee daily, now, and seeing that it’s the hottest part of the summer, it better be ice cold.
The easiest way to make cold brew coffee is in a french press. To make, get some coffee beans and grind them coarsely. Place 1/2 a cup of coffee beans in the french press and top with 2 cups of water (a 4:1 ratio works best). Stir well to make sure all the grounds get coated, then cover your french press but don’t press the filter down quite yet. Place the whole thing in the fridge and let sit overnight. In the morning, you simply push down the filter to strain it, and voila, instant, delicious cold brew. Add sweetener, if you like, or milk, or in this case, horchata.
Making the horchata is a similar process. In a bowl, combine the ingredients and let sit in the fridge overnight. The next day, transfer the mixture to a blender and lightly pulse a few times to break everything up. Don’t blend too much, though, because you want to be able to strain away any pulp. Discard the pulp, then put the liquid back in the blender and mix with a bit of sweetened condensed milk, to taste. The taste is so unusual and so unexpected, but it’s fabulous.
Keep both the cold brew and the horchata in the fridge, in separate containers. Mix when you’re ready to serve.
What a creamy, light, refreshing blast of summer.
Also, did you notice? It’s goddamn beautiful. The horchata is denser than the coffee, so right after mixing, it makes the prettiest ombré. #ombredrinkstastebetter
| Dirty Horchata (Horchata & Cold Brew Coffee) | Print |
- 1 cup uncooked, long-grain rice
- ¾ cup almonds, blanched and lightly toasted
- 2 two-inch long sticks of cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3½ cups water
- Up to ½ can sweetened condensed milk, to taste*
- .
- ½ cup course ground coffee beans
- 2 cups water
- To make horchata: Rinse rice under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and add almonds, cinnamon, vanilla, and water. Cover and let soak in the refrigerator overnight.
- To make cold brew: Add coffee beans and water to a french press. Stir, then refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, transfer the rice mixture to a blender and lightly pulse about 10 times. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing out as much of the liquid as you can. Discard the "pulp" and transfer the liquid back to the blender. Add sweetened condensed milk, to taste, and blend until combined.
- Pour horchata into ice-filled glasses, then top with cold brew coffee. Stir before drinking. Enjoy!
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