All of you nice people came to my rescue with some great recipes for home made re fried beans. Now I'd like to try making home made tortillas. Any recipes out there? Thanks so much, I am enjoying the beans! YUM. Little Quacker

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), November 04, 2001

Answers

Flour tortillas: 3 1/2 cups flour; 1 1/4 tsp. salt; 3/4 tsp. baking powder; 1/3 cup shortening; 1 cup warm milk (105 to 115 deg.). Combine and mix well dry ingredients. Cut in shortening then stir in milk, mixing well. Knead dough about 3 minutes. Divide into 10 equal portions. Roll each out into approx. 8 inch circle, turning dough and rolling on each side. Heat ungreased skillet over medium heat. Cook tortillas about 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned, being careful not to let tortillas wrinkle. Pat tortillas lightly with spatula while browning the second side. Serve hot. This recipe is from Southern Living magazine.

-- Pam (pam1@awesomenet.net), November 04, 2001.

I prefer corn tortillas. I buy masa in the Mexican food section at the grocery store. Its different than regular corn meal. I don't use a recipe per say but add enough water to the amount of masa I think I need to make it stick together without being too sticky. The secret is to let it sit for a while after adding the water. The tortillas form better if it sits for 5 minutes or so. I have a tortilla press but have also used a rolling pin to make them bigger. The secret is to use plastic wrap to keep them from sticking to the rolling pin or the press.

-- Deb Foster (DFoster987@aol.com), November 04, 2001.

Oops, forgot to mention that I add salt also, to taste.

-- Deb Foster (DFoster987@aol.com), November 04, 2001.

this is the way my aunt taught me. dump a 5# bag of flour into a BIG bowl. open pour spout on salt while shaking from side to side make two full (back and forth) passes over bowl. in your palm pour a pile of baking powder about the size of a pecan. throw that in the bowl and mix well with your hand. add two heaping tablespoons (the kind you eat with) of shortning or lard and again mix well with your hand. then slowly add very warm water while mixing with your hand. as you get baseball to softball size chunks that are just dry enough to not stick to your hand take them out and set on counter. when bowl is empty knead chunks together for about ten straight minutes. now you can either let sit for an hour or so or you can start making the tortillas. for fajita size tortillas grab a piece a little bigger than a jumbo egg, flatten between palms then use one thumb to make bowl shape. lay open side down and repeat until all dough is used. next take a piece and rolltop to bottom with a rolling pin. flip over at the same time spin so right and left sides are now top and bottom and again roll from top to bottom. repeat until dough is a little thicker than a nickel then cook on ungeased grill on med- medhi until just starts to get small brown spots on bottom then flip and cook other side. rolling and cooking works best if you roll out about ten then have one person cook while the other rolls. if you're working alone roll all out then cook. they never last long and they never go bad.

-- Pops (pops762@hotmail.com), November 05, 2001.

If you stack the newly made tortillas in a dish towel for about 5 minutes they will be much more pliable, and still warm. If you wish to use them immediately, turn the stack over and pull from the bottom so you are using the ones that have had time to steam first.

-- terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), November 05, 2001.

3 cups of flour....2 teaspoons of baking powder....1 teaspoon salt....4 tablespoons shortening or lard...

Cut all ingredints together.....add 1 and 1/4 cup warm water slowly, stirring until mixture pulls away from the bowl.

Knead slightly....let rest for 30 minutes....pull a small amount of dough...place on floured cloth...roll thin...toss onto hot greased black iron skillet or grill, brown on both sides, keep under kitchen towels until served. I use my cast iron skillet which also means my tortillas are exactly 7 inches round. These are quick and easy and the first one never turns out, so its the cooks treat! Don't just think main meals with them either! Excellent with cinnamon/sugar, or preserves, then rolled up! Left overs, cut into strips, make excellent noodle/dumplings. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 05, 2001.

Thanks All!!! I can see it now, another 20 lbs! LOL Appreciate it.

LQ :)

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), November 05, 2001.

look for masa harina. its in the store next to the flour. recipes on the back. also, befriend a mexican. i did and ate great :)

gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), November 05, 2001.

I'm looking for whole wheat tortillas. Are these recipes interchangeable with whole wheat or does someone have a recipe or experience making whole wheat ones? The ones that I have bought in the store seemed a little dry and did not roll up very well. Thanks!! Marie

-- Marie (MFILA@vERIZON.com), November 06, 2001.