If you've never made your own tortillas, now's the time to start.
The difference between the floppy mass-produced kind at the supermarket and the soft, tender homemade kind is monumental.
Tortillas consist of just four basic ingredients: flour, salt, water and shortening (or more traditionally, lard). The only drawback to homemade tortillas is that they are at their very best when eaten warm or within an hour or two of making them. You can freeze them, but they're not quite as good when thawed and reheated.
Still, I don't think eating them promptly is going to cause you any grief, and they're so easy to make that whipping up a batch won't be a problem either.
Tortillas are perfect for making wrap sandwiches, thin crust pizzas, fajitas and quesadillas.
They're also delicious spread with soft butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
You can also try making them into crackers: Brush olive oil over the surface of a tortilla, sprinkle with coarse salt (a few sesame or poppy seeds too if you like) and bake on a cookie sheet for five minutes at 450° F. Let them cool and break them into pieces to dip into hummus or other dips. Or serve warm tortillas with curries (the traditional Indian roti is the tortilla's kissing cousin).
Basic Flour Tortillas
2 cups all-purpose flour (You can substitute whole wheat or another grain flour for half a cup of this. Any more and the texture of the tortillas changes significantly)
1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ cup cold vegetable shortening or lard, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup warm water (you may need to use more, up to ¾ cup)
Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal (you can also use a food processor to make tortillas). Pour in the water all at once and mix with a wooden spoon, adding enough additional water as required to create a shaggy, slightly sticky ball of dough.
Bring the dough together with your hands and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it gently until it forms a smooth, soft ball. Divide the ball into six equal pieces, forming each piece into a smooth ball. Cover the dough balls with plastic and let them rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to two hours.
Heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet over high heat for five minutes. Lightly dust your counter with flour and roll out one dough ball at a time as thinly as you can (aim for one-sixteenth of an inch; keep rolling pin and work surface lightly floured). Don't worry if the tortillas aren't perfectly round, that's how you can tell they're homemade.
Cook tortillas one at a time until they bubble and puff and a few brown spots form on the bottom. Flip the tortilla over and cook the other side until it gets brown in spots (if the tortillas brown too quickly reduce heat). Don't overcook or they'll be hard.
The whole cooking process should only take about a minute per tortilla. Remove from the pan with tongs and stack on a plate, covered with a clean dish towel, until all tortillas are cooked. If you're not eating them warm, once they've cooled completely store them in a plastic food bag in the refrigerator or freeze them.
To reheat tortillas (either refrigerated or thawed frozen ones), wrap in heavy duty foil and place in a 350° F oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Makes six large tortillas.
Buffalo Chicken Tortilla Pizza
2 fresh tortillas, about eight inches in diameter
2 cups diced cooked chicken
4 Tbsp butter, melted
¼ cup hot sauce
½ cup ranch dressing (Use a very thick variety. I recommend the refrigerated brands, usually stocked in the produce section)
1/3 cup smoky barbecue sauce
2 to 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, mix the melted butter and hot sauce together. Add the chicken and stir until chicken is evenly coated with sauce. Place the tortillas side by side on a large baking sheet.
Spread the ranch dressing over the tortillas. Sprinkle chicken evenly over top and drizzle barbecue sauce over chicken, then sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the is evenly browned. Makes two to four servings.
Berry Dessert Nachos
3 fresh tortillas, about eight inches in diameter
1Tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup sour cream
3 cups mixed fresh berries (slice strawberries if you're using them), sprinkled with a bit of sugar just before serving
2 Tbsp coarsely grated dark chocolate to garnish
Preheat oven to 400° F. Whip the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla together until quite stiff. Fold in the sour cream and refrigerate until
serving. Lightly brush both sides of each tortilla with melted butter. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle mixture evenly over one side of each tortilla. Cut each tortilla into eight wedges and arrange on two ungreased baking sheets. Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until crisp. Let cool completely (remove wedges to wire racks once they're cool enough to handle).
To serve, divide wedges evenly onto six dessert plates. Top with berries and a dollop of the whipped cream mixture and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Makes six servings.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
