Make it Monday!

This past Friday, I taught our girls (and a friend) how to make tortillas! We're using the Portraits of American Girlhood curriculum for our 4th grade school year and it is SO much fun! Currently we're studying Josefina who lived in New Mexico before it was a part of the US in 1824. Since I have Mexican and Spanish blood in me, all the cooking and food lessons got to be my job for this one! It's exciting!!!

Here's Layla (Sonya's Girly), Zoe (My Girly) and their friend with their first home made tortillas!!!

My little Miss-Moody-Moody-Attitudey looks SO happy, doesn't she?!?!

We started by mixing together about 6 cups of flour (unbleached all purpose), 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, almost 1/4 cup of baking powder, some salt and warm water added one tablespoon at a time.

Don't even bother with a spoon... just get in their with your hands. It's really important that you add the WARM water only one tablespoon at a time. If you add too much, you end up with yuck. If you add too little, you can always add more!! You basically want it to be like slightly dried out play dough. Soft and pliable, but not overly sticky.


The munchkins can't efficiently mix it all the way, so I had to get in there and help. I'd advise you to keep one hand clean and firmly holding the bowl at all times!! 

Now here's where I don't have a lot of pictures... my hands were covered in tortilla dough!

At this point, you want to roll your dough into 1-2 inch balls and set aside. I usually stack them in another bowl. If they sit too long and dry out, add a splash of water and knead it in your hands for a minute.

Next you'll roll out your balls on a lightly floured surface one at a time. I use a piece of heavy duty pipe (some sort of metal) which is also what my mom, grandma and great grandma used. They're never perfectly round because well... I'm not a machine! I'm an imperfect human being! Even my little guy got in on the tortilla rolling action. He made a happy tortilla :)

Once they are rolled out, you will cook them. I cook mine on a cast iron tortilla grille. Using a clean kitchen towel, press and turn until slightly browned. Pull it to the edge with the towel and flip so you can cook the other side. Here is Grammy Sandee-Mom (as my kids call her or Grammy to Layla) demonstrating!!

ENJOY!!!!

Another option is to make Sopapillas!! Once you've rolled your torts, cut them into quarters and fry in hot oil. Flip part way through, drain on paper towels or in a paper grocery bag, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon! We enjoyed ours with Abuelita Chocolate Syrup and Honey!!! Here are our girlies enjoying their sopapillas! We hope you enjoy yours!!

~Alicia