Who doesn’t love the crispy, crunch of a tortilla chip? It is only fitting that on this day that we learn about the tortilla, and Burro’s Tortillas will take kids though the entire process. Then you can fry or bake them to make the perfect snack!
Terri Fields adapted the story of “The Little Red Hen” to include a little burro, bobcat, coyote, and jackrabbit. The little Burro sees the perfect ears of corn and asks friends for help making tortillas. When they have excuses at each step of the process not to help, the burro does all the work himself. He fills a basket with fresh tortillas and his friends are ready to help him eat. The little burro remembers all of the hard work he did all by himself and decides that he can eat all the tortillas without help.
The moral of the story: When you work hard you reap the rewards of your hard work.
Work hard this tortilla chip day and make your own!
Supplies:
Mixing bowl and spoon, or mixer
Slightly damp paper towels
Wax paper
Rolling pin
Cast iron skillet or griddle
Spatula
Cookie sheet
Ingredients
1 cup maseca
1 tbsp. Corn or vegetable oil
¾ cup warm water
Cooking spray
In a large bowl, mix together the maseca, the oil if using (this is not traditional but may help to hold the tortillas together while rolling) and the water. Mix together until the dough is smooth and forms a dough ball – about two or three minutes. The dough should be smooth but not too sticky.
Divide the dough into 8 little balls and cover with the slightly damp paper towels to keep them from drying out.
Cut off two square pieces of wax paper. Place one ball of dough at a time between the two sheets and use the rolling pin to roll into a circle (as best as you can).
With an adult’s help, cook on a very hot, ungreased cast iron skillet or griddle. Use your spatula to flip the tortilla every 15 to 20 seconds until cooked (light brown). Wrap cooked tortillas in a small kitchen towel or cloth to keep warm and to prevent them from drying out.
To Make Chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the tortillas into wedges
Spray with a cooking spray and sprinkle with a little salt (or cinnamon and sugar for a sweet chip). Lay the wedges in a 
single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Flip the chips over and bake for another 6-9 minutes until they are crispy and beginning to turn color.
Reap the rewards of your hard work with the dip of your choice and enjoy!
To learn more about Burro’s Tortillas, or to print this recipe from the For Creative Minds section visit the homepage. And check out the classroom activities for first grade on ¡Colorín Colorado!
Arbordale Publishing's Blog 