Recipe - Chile Black Pepper Tortillas

1 cup Masa harina
One fourth teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Chile powder
One half teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Water
2 tablespoon Allpurpose flour

Recipes are by Jacqueline Higuera McMahan

This produces an earthyflavored burnished red tortilla that looks as good
as it tastes.

INSTRUCTIONS: Stir together masa, pepper, chile powder and salt in a mixing
bowl. Gradually add the water, stirring with a fork until you have a soft
dough.

Sprinkle flour on a work surface. Turn out dough and knead for 1 minute.
Cover dough with an upsidedown mixing bowl; let rest for 20 minutes. Cut 2
squares of plastic wrap large enough to fit the tortilla press. Place on
bottom of the press. Pinch off a small ball of dough (about a tenth of the
dough) and put in the press. Cover with second piece of plastic. Gently
press. (You don't want a paperthin tortilla or you will have difficulty
peeling it off the plastic.) Gently peel off top piece of plastic by
starting from the side nearest the handle. Peel off bottom plastic by
gently peeling from the handle side. If you find the dough or tortilla is
difficult to handle, sprinkle remaining dough with a few teaspoons of
allpurpose flour, knead and press the next tortilla. (If you press
tortillas all at once before cooking, cover them as you go with a damp
towel to prevent them from drying out.)

Place tortilla on a preheated comal or griddle. Cook for 40 seconds, then
lift and look at the bottom. If tortilla is speckled, turn it over and cook
for another 40 seconds. These tortillas should be undercooked slightly so
they will fold easily into quesadillas without cracking. Repeat with
remaining dough. Yields 10.

PER TORTILLA: 45 calories, 1 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 0 g fat (0 g
saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 108 mg sodium, 1 g fiber. Posted to
CHILEHEADS DIGEST V4 #094 by Bob Batson bob@sky.net on Aug 22, 1997