Homemade Flour Tortillas

OK, even though Corey has been consistently asking me to make Homemade Tortillas, I had been putting it off for quite some time for two reasons.  One, the main one, I was sort of scared of shorting and most recipes I found used it.  Two, I've heard they can be a little difficult to roll out thin enough, and I thought they would be difficult to make in general.  However, I managed to get past my fears and make these last night, because I love my hubby, and it helps that I love to cook.  :)  Shorting was not scary, I think you could probably sub olive oil if wanted too.  And they were actually super easy!  I made the dough the night before and then rolled them out and cooked them the night we ate them.  Its really important to make them right before you eat them so they are pliable and warm, but we kept our leftovers in the fridge and they were still great the next day warmed up!  Recipe via The Pioneer Woman.  Make sure you read the tips!  It took me a few tortillas to get the thickness down, don't get frustrated!

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups All-purpose Flour

2-1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening + 2 Tablespoons

1 cup Hot Water

Preparation Instructions

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large wooden bowl. Stir together.
Add spoonfuls of lard or shortening (use 1/2 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons), then use your hands to combine the ingredients. Mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
Slowly pour in hot water, stirring to bring mixture together. Lightly knead dough 30 to 40 times, or until it becomes a cohesive ball of dough and is less sticky. Cover with a towel and allow dough to rest for at least an hour.
Cut dough into 4, then cut each quarter into 3.  Roll into ping pong size balls, place on a tray, cover with a towel, and allow to rest for another 20 to 30 minutes.
When you're ready to make the tortillas, heat a griddle to medium/medium-high heat. One by one, roll out balls of dough until very, very thin. Throw tortillas (one by one) onto the griddle. Cook on each side for 20 to 30 seconds, removing while tortillas are still soft but slightly brown in spots. Remove and stack tortillas, and cover with a towel to keep warm. Serve immediately or allow to cool before storing tortillas in a container. To warm, nuke tortillas in the microwave, or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.

Helpful tips:

* Make sure the water you pour in is very warm.
* Allow the dough to rest, both after kneading and after forming into balls.
* Roll out very thin.
* Get the heat right on your stove: Too hot, and the tortilla will burn in spots. Not hot enough, and the tortilla will begin to crisp before you can get it to brown. I get my stove between medium and medium high heat; that seems to do the trick.
* Use a dark griddle or cast iron skillet to brown the tortillas.
* Cook just long enough to lightly brown the tortilla in spots; don't cook too long or tortillas will crisp. You want them to be soft and pliable when you serve them.
* Finally: Have fun! And enjoy them. They're absolutely scrumptious.