Homemade Flour Tortillas

And holy guacamole are they easy!  Sorry, I had to.  Seriously, though, they are so easy to make and amazingly delicious.  Hubby says they’re the best tortillas he’s ever had, and trust me, he’s not one of those husbands who just says that to appease me.  The other day, he took a bite of some rosewater and cardamom ice cream I made (which was freaking awesome) and said it was the worst thing he’s ever tasted.  And no, he wasn’t being facetious.  My point is, if he doesn’t like something, he doesn’t hesitate to let me know, so these tortillas must really be fabulous. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• ⅔ cup hot water

Put the flour, salt, and baking powder into a mixing bowl. 

Whisk them together.  Cut the butter into chunks and throw them in. 

Add the oil.

Mix until you have something that looks like wet sand. 

Pour in the hot water and mix. 

It’ll be sticky when it first comes together. Knead it for two minutes or so.  It’ll still be very soft, but it will no longer be sticky and it will completely clean itself from the bowl. 

Cover that and allow it to rest for at least an hour.  You’ve just created gluten with the kneading, and it needs some time to relax or you’ll never be able to roll the dough thin enough for tortillas.  When you’re ready, heat a skillet over medium heat.  I used nonstick, but if you have cast iron, that’s probably even better.  Pull of a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and roll it in your hands so it’s mostly round. 

Pat it out on a floured surface. 

With your rolling pin, roll it as thin as you can get it, being sure to keep moving it so that it doesn’t stick to the countertop.  It won’t be a perfect circle, but don’t worry.  That’s the beauty of homemade, right?  You want it to be thin enough that you can see through it. 

Lay it into the heated skillet.  No oil or anything in the pan.

When it bubbles up like this, it’s time to flip. 

It should be nicely browned. 

Give it about 45 seconds then check the underside.  If it’s similar in color to the top, remove it from the pan.  Stack them up on top of one another, keeping them covered with a towel as you go. 

With a little practice, you’ll be able to roll one out, lay it in the pan, then quickly roll out the next one before it’s time to flip.  Occasionally you’ll probably end up with a bit of flour in the pan, just wipe it out so it doesn’t burn. 

This recipe makes about 8 tortillas.    

If you wrap them tightly in two layers of towels, they’ll stay warm for like an hour while you make whatever you’re putting inside. 

Soft, beautiful, and delicious. 

 

What would you like to put inside these fabulous tortillas?

Yogurt Parfaits - Make Ahead Breakfast

This post definitely qualifies more as a tip than a proper recipe since you don’t have to actually make anything.  We’re way overdue for a tip, though, and with it being a holiday weekend for Americans, it seemed the perfect time for one.  Besides, these yogurt parfaits make an instant, and even portable breakfast, that is absolutely fabulous.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Yogurt
• Frozen Berries
• Granola

You’ll also need containers.  I bought these jars specifically for this purpose.  I wanted something glass, with lids, that I could keep in the fridge on a regular basis without them being needed for something else.  They’re very high quality and the perfect size and shape.

One of the most important things about a yogurt parfait is the consistency of the yogurt itself.  The secret of getting it perfect is using a combination of regular and Greek yogurt.  My favorite is Trader Joe’s nonfat, vanilla at about a 2 parts regular to 1 part Greek ratio. 

Pour the regular yogurt into a bowl. 

Add the thick, Greek stuff.

Then stir them together until it’s nice and smooth. 

In the bottom of each jar, put a layer of blueberries.

Then a layer of raspberries.

And then the strawberries.  I like to quarter them before adding them. 

Spoon yogurt over the top. 

I use about ¾ cup in each one. 

Put them into the fridge overnight for the berries to thaw.  When you’re ready for breakfast, simply pull one out and pour some granola over the top. 

The berries give off their juice as they thaw, so if you stir it all together, the yogurt will turn a beautiful pink color.  You can use this same method with any kind of frozen fruit, so be creative and use whatever is your favorite.  I’m sure it would be fabulous with peaches, cherries, or even mango.  No matter what you use, make 3 or 4 of them at a time, and you’ll have delicious and hearty breakfast just waiting for you when you wake up.