PREP: 25 minutes COOK: 2 minutes per tortilla MAKES: 12 tortillas

Homemade Corn Tortillas

What You’ll Need

2 cups masa harina (corn tortilla flour) or blue corn masa harina

1¼ to 1½ cups warm water

How to Make It

1. In a medium bowl combine masa harina and 1¼ cups of the warm water; stir to bring the mixture together. Knead until mixture forms a smooth dough that is firm but moist (dough should be the consistency of modeling clay and should not crack when rolled into a ball). If necessary, knead in enough of the remaining ¼ cup water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, to make desired consistency. Cover dough with plastic wrap until ready to form tortillas.

2. Divide the dough into 12 portions; shape each portion into a ball and place between two sheets of plastic.* Using a tortilla press or rolling pin, flatten each ball into a 6-inch circle.

3. Carefully peel off the top sheet of plastic. Holding tortilla, plastic side up, peel off the other sheet of plastic. Gently pass the tortilla from palm to palm several times before carefully placing the tortilla on an ungreased griddle. Cook 2 to 2½ minutes or until tortilla is dry and light brown, turning occasionally. Wrap in foil to keep warm while cooking remaining tortillas.

*Recipe Note: Cut two 7-inch-diameter circles out of a clean plastic resealable bag.

Freezing Directions: Stack tortillas separated by sheets of waxed paper. Place the stack in a resealable plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw completely before using.

Beet Corn Tortillas: Drain one 15-oz. can sliced beets, reserving liquid. (Save beets for another use.) Add enough water to reserved beet liquid to measure 1¼ cups total liquid. Prepare as directed, except substitute beet-water mixture for the water in recipe.

Cilantro Corn Tortillas: In a blender combine 1 cup water and ½ cup snipped fresh cilantro stems and leaves (the stems from one bunch); blend until smooth. Prepare Homemade Corn Tortillas as directed, except substitute the blended cilantro mixture for the water in recipe.

Chipotle Corn Tortillas: Combine 1 cup warm water and ¼ cup adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce. Prepare Homemade Corn Tortillas as directed, except substitute the chipotle water for the water in recipe.

PER TORTILLA, PLAIN OR VARIATIONS: 73 cal., 1 g fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 1 mg sodium, 16 g carb., 2 g fiber, 2 g pro.

1. The dough should be the consistency of modeling clay and should not crack when rolled into a ball.

2. Place a dough ball between pieces of plastic and press dough to form a 6-inch circle.

3. Pat the dough circle back and forth in your hands until it becomes 
less sticky.

4. Gently lay the tortilla on the griddle. When steam appears, flip it over. Turn it again when it just starts to brown.