Tortilla making lesson

Let me introduce my friend Diann.
She has offered to teach the art of tortilla making to me.
So of course I will pass the lesson on to all of you.

Of course the lesson would be incomplete without the aide of our handy dandy darlings.

Allow the children to measure assisted of course

3 cups flour
2 tbs Baking powder
2 tsp salt
3 tbs Crisco

mix lightly

Then mix in approximately three cups of water and kneed to a soft dough consistency

knead and work into a ball

at soft ball stag when it is just only stick a bit in the center of the dough
Hand it over to the kids to knead some more

split the dough betwwn the kids and have them each form many small balls out of it

Show them how to knead it a bit

give them another bowl to put all the balls in

Meanwhile we moms took the balls and kneaded a bit
then flatten them and spin as your flattening them a bit.

Flour the work surface

The circle of dough is then rolled from center of ball out turn roll center out

Then each time you roll turn
It is picked up and worked or tossed back and forth.
This is an important process.
The ones that I did that I did not toss enough left flour to burn on the skillet.

from center out, tun center out turn then toss.

Look at those amazing hands...

At this point it is very thin
The thinner the better
It makes the most tender tortilla

Now here is a treat for the children called
"monkey Butts"
Yep...
That is what she said they are called.
:)

Heat two inches of vegetable oil till hot
We used the Crisco and she did not like the way it responded.
Vegetable oil is better
I just dod not have any on hand for I use almost exclusively olive oil.

For tortilla a very hot cast iron works best
We improvised with a skillet
it is a non stick
it did not work the same way.
The pan must be very very hot and that is not good for Teflon to be that hot.

These cook fast!
This process is very very fast paced roll and then cook it is an hour in the making of 12 tortillas.
After that hour your pretty tired out for it is a high speed fast paced process that is focused.

Flip and one minute and done!

have ready a towel on a plate
as soon as the tortilla is removed stack and cover.
The steam keeps the stack moist adn wonderful!

Her experience at making them really shows!
Look at that beautiful tortilla!

These are the deep fried Monkey Butts
They are VERY VERY fast paced!
In and turn in under on minute and out onto plated toweling to drain
Then shake powdered sugar on both sides .

The prize!

The children clearing the second plate of fried Monkey Butts.

What a name for a treat.