Atole de arroz! Is it a cereal, a warm beverage, a dessert or a silky version of arroz con leche? All of the above! Transports me back to elementary school when mom would prepare atole de maizena, a cornstarch based warm silky cereal on chilly mornings. I purposely would let the maizena cool a little so I could spoon off that thick layer that would build on the top when cool. I still do that to this day!
Many of associate certain foods with cherished memories of our childhood.
The days leading up to Christmas eve was the quiet before the storm when my family visited Mexico. I remember the sacks of fresh oranges, bulk bags of peanuts in their shell and colorful colacion candy from the dulceria(candy shop). For those of you who know, you know. On Christmas eve all of the children were given these special little brown bags filled with an orange, peanuts in their shell, colacion and a few other candies. Did you celebrate this tradition in your family? Sometimes during the holidays, I place a large platter filled with fresh oranges, peanuts in their shell and colacion as my centerpiece. I just like looking at it because it brings back so many happy memories of spending Christmas in Mexico surrounded by all of my familia.
Did you grow up enjoying atole? What kind?
Arroz con leche, atole de avena(oatmeal), maizena in all kinds of flavors are the three I remember the most growing up. I have a lot of catching up to do because there are so many I have not tried yet. A few that come to mind that I really want to try are atole de tamarindo(tamarind), piña(pineapple), guava, platano(banana) and elote(corn). I am making it my goal this winter to attempt all of those in my own kitchen! Stay tuned!
What is the best rice to use?
In my opinion, short grain rice has given me the best results when is comes to arroz con leche or extra creamy and silky atole like this one. But, medium grain rice and yes, even long grain rice will work. I’ve tried sooooo many brands of rice over the years, I lost count! I know of many people that have switched to using jasmine rice for Mexican rice because it holds up well and doesn’t get mushy like many other brands. Mom used no fancy rice and her sopa de arroz always came out great! She didn’t measure anything either, lol! Honestly, I have not reached that level. Goals! All I can really suggest is to find whatever works for you.
Mexican cinnamon is the bomb!
If you have not had the chance to try Mexican cinnamon, it’s completely different from those hard cinnamon sticks you see in most large chain markets. Canela(cinnamon) Mexicana is large and softer, which makes it easier to grind down. I will typically use a coffee grinder just for spices and fill a jar with fresh ground canela to use in my recipes.
Online shopping opened up the whole world to me!
Many Mexican food ingredients are readily available online these days, thank goodness! Not just for sweet atole de arroz recipes, I use small pieces of Mexican cinnamon in some of my savory meat dishes as well. A little goes a long way and adds just a subtle flavor. I personally don’t enjoy meat dishes like birria and carnitas where the first bite all I taste is cinnamon. It’s not appetizing to me. But that’s just me.
I enjoy using the lightweight ollas de peltre(graniteware) for a lot of my Mexican cooking!
I wish I could share a link where you could purchase the ollas de peltre! My collection comes from many years of traveling all over the states and Mexico. Check out Etsy and your local Mexican markets too!
Let’s get To The Recipe!!
Atole de Arroz
Equipment
- Blender
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 c medium grain rice
- 2 large cinnamon sticks
- 3 c Water
- 1 can evaporated milk(12 oz)
- 5 c milk, I used 2% milk
- Sugar, to taste or 1 13 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the rice, cinnamon sticks and water. Cover and bring up to a boil at medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until all the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- When ready remove the cinnamon sticks from the rice and discard them. Transfer all but 1 cup of rice to the blender jar. If you prefer an all smooth atole, add all of the rice to the blender jar. Also to the blender, pour in 1 can of evaporated milk and 1 cup of milk. Blend on high until very smooth.
- In the pot with reserved cooked rice, pour in the blended smooth rice/ milk. Pour in 4 more cups of milk and stir well to combine. Sweeten with sugar to your liking. Continue cooking at heat below medium until the atole begins to thicken. Do not let it boil. Stir often so atole doesn't burn and stick to the bottom.
- Once it has thickened, mix in the ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Ladle into large mugs or cups. Sprinkle with more ground cinnamon. Delicious served with tamales!
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Yes, Atole de Pina, Atole de Banana even Strawberry, brings back fond memories.