Best Mexican Gorditas Light Cookies Recipes

GRIDDLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat the water and the cinnamon stick in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and keep simmering until the water starts changing to a very light caramel color, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat, and discard the cinnamon stick. Cool to room temperature.
• Combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the shortening in small pieces over the flour-sugar mix. With your hands, mix the shortening with the flour/sugar mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Slowly add the cinnamon tea over the mixture, tablespoon by tablespoon, and knead the dough until it sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in a little bit more of cinnamon tea, one teaspoon at time, until the dough comes together.
• Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes**. (See Note above) This step helps develop the gluten, and it will be easier to form the circles. When ready to make, let the dough sit on the counter for about 10 minutes. (The dough keeps very well in the fridge for about 2 days, or it can be frozen for up to 1 month.)
• Heat the griddle or comal to medium heat. Divide the dough into small balls of about 1.15 oz/30grs. Keep covered with a plastic wrap. Line your tortilla press with 2 pieces of plastic cut to fit the size of the tortilla press. If you don't have a tortilla press, you can use a heavy glass pie dish to press the dough and form the cookies.
• Place one piece of dough between the 2 plastic pieces and gently press the tortilla press's handle to flatten the dough. Remove the piece of plastic covering the dough and lift the cookie using the piece of plastic at the bottom. Flip the plastic to place the cookie over the palm of your hand.
• Place onto the griddle and cook about 1 minute on each side. Be very careful while flipping the cookies, as they are very fragile. You can use a thin spatula to do this step. Depending on how thick you make your cookies, the cooking time will vary, up to 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side.
• Carefully remove the cookie and move to a plate lined with a kitchen/tea towel. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. Wait until cookies are cool and crispy to eat. You can store the cookies in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.

GORDITAS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups masa harina, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add 2 tablespoons lard and combine well (I usually crumble it into the mixture using my fingers.)
• Now add only 1 cup of the warm water and combine as much as you can using a spoon or spatula. Add the rest of the water incrementally until you have a cohesive ball of masa dough. I usually dump the mixture onto a work surface and add the remaining water a few tablespoons at a time, kneading the dough until it comes together. Set aside and cover until you need it.
• Pull off a 3 oz. chunk of masa dough and use your hands to roll it into a ball. (3 oz. is somewhere between a golfball and a racquetball.)
• Surround the dough ball in plastic (I use a Ziploc bag with the top cut off) and use a flat-bottomed casserole dish to flatten the dough ball to a thickness that lies somewhere between 1/8" and 1/4". Keep in mind that you can always make them thicker at the cost of a longer cooking time. You can alternatively use a tortilla press for this step.
• Pre-heat a dry skillet or comal to medium heat. Cook each side of the Gordita until light brown spots are forming, approximately 1-2 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, heat up a thin layer of oil in a separate skillet. I use a thermometer to get the oil up to 360F, and this corresponds to a medium setting on my stove.
• Add the partially cooked Gordita from the dry skillet and cook it in the hot oil for 1-2 minutes or until the bottom side is brown and crispy. You can optionally cook the second side in the oil but I frequently will only cook the first side in oil. Set aside to drain on some paper towels.
• Use a knife to cut open the edges. Insert your favorite filling and serve immediately. I filled this batch with refried beans and cheese.

MEXICAN GORDITAS ( LITTLE FAT ONES) (GORDITAS RELLENAS)

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, mix the Masa Harina with the water or broth and 2 tablespoons oil or melted lard and the salt.
• 2. Knead the dough just until it comes to a ball. You might need to add a little more water or broth to make it a little moist but not sticky.
• 3. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a 10-inch log.
• 4. Cut into 10 pieces.
• 5. Using a 3 inch round biscuit cutter, mold the pieces into flat disks a scant 1/2 inch thick.
• 6. Heat a large griddle or comal ( a round flat griddle). Put the gorditas on the griddle to cook over moderate/high heat, turning once, until lightly browned in spots about two minutes per side.
• 7. Using the back of a spoon, lightly press indenting starting from the middle and all around the gordita on one side only leaving a lip all around the edge of the gordita. In other words, your gorditas should look like flat little bowls with a lip all around.
• 8. In a large skillet, heat about a 1/2 cup oil or lard or butter. Oil or lard should be shimmering. Add the gorditas and fry over high heat until golden and crispy. About 2 minutes per side.
• 9. Drain on paper towels.
• 10. Top with your favorite toppings such as the seasoned shredded pork or chicken or chorizo filling the indentation or the wells in each of the little gordita patties. Finish topping with the salsa, sour cream or queso fresco or Cotija cheese. Serve hot. These are truly luscious. Tip: Make two batches your family will want more than ten.
• 11. The above picture shows my gorditas made with chorizo, diced sweet onion, grated queso fresco and I have used two sauces, to top them off. Tomatillo salsa and chipotle salsa. Enjoy

GORDAS PETROLERAS RECIPE (HOMEMADE GORDITAS WITH PORK)

Steps:

• To make the chicharrón prensado, toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 2 minutes; they should be richly aromatic but not burned. Put in a blender with the garlic, onion, and 2 cups water, and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
• In a large pot combine the carnitas with pork skin and the salsa over low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the salsa is reduced enough to thickly coat the meat. You shouldn't need to add any salt here, as the carnitas should be well seasoned.
• Place all the ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth (some people prefer a coarse purée). Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, using a spoon to mash the avocados into the other ingredients. It's up to you how much to mash-I like mine pretty lumpy!
• To make the gordas, knead the masa with the lard or oil until it's fully incorporated (it's impossible to overwork masa since there's no gluten, and in fact it only improves in quality the more you work it). Separate the masa into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Place a ball between two sheets of plastic (cut from a plastic bag) and flatten to create a ½-inch-thick tortilla shape with a tortilla press or with this cookbook. Repeat for all the balls.
• Heat a griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add as many gordas as will comfortably fit in the skillet. Cook for about 20 minutes, flipping every 3 minutes or so. They should get golden brown on the outside, with some charred specks; reduce the heat if they brown too quickly. They're done when the inside is soft and fluffy, and the outside crisp and crunchy. (Gordas are best straight from the griddle, but can be kept in a 250ºF oven until ready to serve, if necessary.)
• Slice open the gordas three-fourths of the way around, then fill each pocket with about 2 tablespoons of the chicharrón prensado, then queso, onion, cilantro, salsa, guacamole, and lime to taste.

GORDITAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the masa harina, salt and hot water. Gradually mix in the shortening and flour. If the dough seems dry, add a little more hot water. Form the dough into balls that will fit into the palm of your hand.
• Line a work surface with waxed paper or plastic. Sprinkle with water. Flatten balls on the wet surface until about 1/4 inch thick.
• Heat a griddle or comal over medium heat. Cook the gorditas on each side until they are cooked through.
• Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat until hot. Fry each gordita until puffed, pressing it down into the oil occasionally with a spatula. Drain briefly on paper towels, cut the tips off and stuff full of your favorite foods.