horchata blanca!

...so i happened upon this recipe a while back (saveur.com) so i bookmarked it. its not really a "heidi" recipe at all... it has nothing good in it really, but it sounded interesting. after spending most of the day on the couch feeling a little under the weather, i decided to give it a try. its almost like eggnog...minus all the eggs and christmas flavour...actually it's like a fabulous rice pudding in a glass! maybe next time i'll give a more traditional horchata a try...one without all the odd milk, one a little more "heidi" like...but the idea had to come from somewhere...

horchata blanca

1/3 cup medium or long grain rice

1 1-inch piece Mexican cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla

12 oz. evaporated milk 

14 oz. condensed milk

freshly ground Mexican cinnamon, to garnish

instructions:

Toast the cinnamon and rice in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat until they release a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and transfer onto a blender; blend into a fine powder. Add the vanilla, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and 4 cups of water. Strain mixture through a wet cheesecloth into a serving pitcher. Chill completely, and serve over ice, or heat and serve warm. Top with freshly ground cinnamon right before serving.