TORTILLA KITCHEN RECIPES ALA HEIDI G.

I apologise, if you have been waiting for these recipes. The file that Heidi sent me refused to open and I finally figured what to do to get it open. Here are the recipes! ENJOY!:)

Corn Tortillas – makes 16 - 18 tortillas

2 cups masa flour

1 ½ cups very warm water

1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional)

Preheat a large skillet on high heat. Mix ingredients with hands in medium bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes. Begin working the masa with your hands for 3 - 5 minutes (like kneading bread dough). If at any point the dough seems too stiff or too wet, add more water or masa. Take a piece of the masa dough and shape it into a ball the size of a large golf ball. Make about 16- 18 balls. Take two pieces of wax paper and place 1 ball between the wax paper pieces. Gently press the ball with a flat-based pan until the dough has spread to 6 inches in diameter. Remove wax paper. Gently lay the tortilla on the hot ungreased skillet. Cook for 30 - 60 seconds on each side. Tortilla should be lightly toasted and little air pockets forming. Serve immediately or refrigerate in ziplock bag for up to 5 days. Recipe freezes well.

Flour Tortillas – makes 12 tortillas

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

5 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup very warm water

In a large bowl rub the lard into the flour using fingertips. In a separate bowl, add the salt to water and dissolve. Mix the water into the flour a little at a time until you form a stiff dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead it for about 10 - 15 minutes until it is elastic. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each one into a ball with a palm of your hand. Cover the pieces with plastic wrap while you work. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin. Rotate the tortilla one quarter with each roll to keep the shape even. Keep rolling until the tortilla is about 12". Heat large skillet to medium heat. Cook tortilla on ungreased skillet for 45 - 60 seconds until the surface begins to blister and lightly brown. Turn the tortilla over and cook the other side for an additional minute. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a ziplock bag for up to 5 days. Recipe freezes well.

Whole Wheat Tortillas – makes 8 tortillas

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup warm water

Preheat skillet to medium-high heat. Mix dry ingredients together then add wet ingredients (if too dry, add more water by the teaspoon). Knead until not too stiff. Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Let stand for 10 minutes. Separate dough into eight pieces and form into balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes. Roll each ball into a ten-inch round. Stack on plate and cover with a tea towel so they don’t dry out. Cook tortilla on preheated ungreased skillet for about 1 minute. Flip when air pockets form, using a fork to pierce the pockets. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a ziplock bag for up to 5 days. Recipe freezes well.