Dirty Horchata Recipe
Make Dirty Horchata Recipe in just 3h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Horchata Base
Coffee Component (Dirty)
To Serve
Method
Horchata Base
- 1
Rinse and Soak
Rinse the rice under cold water briefly to remove excess starch. Place the rinsed rice and toasted almonds in a heatproof bowl or jar. Pour 2 cups hot (not boiling) water over them, stir, and let soak at room temperature for at least 2 hours — ideally 4 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator. This softens the rice and releases flavor into the water.
- 2
Blend
After soaking, transfer the rice, almonds, and soaking liquid to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is very smooth and milky in appearance. If your blender is small, blend in two batches and combine.
- 3
Strain
Strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a nut-milk bag into a large pitcher. Press or squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the pulp or reserve for baking.
- 4
Finish Horchata
To the strained milky liquid, stir in the whole milk, evaporated milk, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt. Whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. Taste and adjust sweetness or cinnamon to preference. Chill the horchata for at least 30 minutes so flavors marry and it becomes cold.
Coffee Component (Dirty)
- 5
Brew Espresso
Pull two shots of fresh espresso (about 2 ounces total) or measure about 2 ounces of very strong cold-brew concentrate. If using instant espresso, dissolve to taste in a tablespoon of hot water. Let the espresso rest briefly so it's hot but not scorching if combining directly with cold horchata; for a layered 'dirty' effect use hot espresso poured over ice, or use cooled espresso for a smoother, uniformly chilled drink.
To Serve
- 6
Fill two serving glasses with ice cubes, dividing evenly. Pour chilled horchata into each glass, leaving room at the top (about 1–1.5 inches) for the espresso. Slowly pour one shot of espresso over the back of a spoon or gently down the side into each glass to create the characteristic 'dirty' swirl. If you prefer the coffee fully integrated, stir once to combine.
- 7
Garnish each glass with a light dusting of ground cinnamon and, optionally, a cinnamon stick. Serve immediately.