Jenny's Homemade Tortillas and Refried Beans

A big thanks to Jenny, who taught a group of us to make our own flour tortillas and refried beans.  It was so much fun - and so delicious!

Texas Flour Tortillas
(adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)

Start with two cups flour.  You can use white flour, or one cup each of whole wheat and white.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.  Slowly incorporate 3/4 cup of warm milk.

Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.  Knead for two minutes on a floured surface, until dough is firm and soft.  Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest for 20 minutes.

After the dough has rested, break into eight pieces and shape into balls.  Place them on a plate, making sure the balls don't touch each other.  Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

After the dough has rested, pat into a 4 inch circle, then use a rolling pin to roll to an approximate 8 inch circle.  (Jenny says to roll them paper thin!) Don't over work the dough or it will be stiff.

Cook the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium high heat about 30 seconds on each side.  (Lynn showed us how to use our fingers to rotate the tortillas in the pan so they don't burn.)  The tortilla should puff a bit when it's done.

Keep tortillas covered until ready to use.  (If they don't all get eaten first!)


Jenny's Refried Beans (without the refry)


Soak three cups of dry pinto beans overnight.

Drain.  Put the beans in a crock pot with 9 cups of water and one onion, peeled and halved; 1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped; 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 5 teaspoons salt; 1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper; and 1/8 teaspoon cumin.

Cook for 8 hours on high heat.  (Note: If more than one cup of cooking liquid has evaporated during cooking, the temperature is too high.)  Strain the beans (or remove with a slotted spoon) and reserve the cooking liquid.  Mash with a masher or immersion blender, using the cooking liquid as necessary for the desired consistency.

Serve and enjoy!

Thanks for the fun and delicious evening Jenny!