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Gorditas de la Villa
Sweet corn griddle cakes
Gorditas de la Villa: sweet corn griddle cakes from the Basilica of Guadalupe
Every 12 December, millions of pilgrims walk to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City ('La Villa'), and all around it women cook gorditas de la Villa on clay comales: small, thick, sweet cakes of corn masa with piloncillo, cinnamon and a little anise, wrapped in coloured tissue paper to take home. They are soft and slightly chewy, with toasty spots. They are gluten free. Chef's tip: cook them on a dry, medium-low griddle; too hot and the sugar burns before the middle cooks through.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz masa harina
- 3 ½ oz piloncillo or dark brown sugargrated
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground aniseed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 ⅛ oz butter or lardmelted
- 1 cup warm milkabout
- 1 egg yolk
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz masa harina, 3 ½ oz piloncillo or dark brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground aniseed, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt.
Step 2: Add 2 ⅛ oz butter or lard, 1 egg yolk and enough 1 cup warm milk to make a soft dough like play-dough that doesn't crack at the edges when you flatten a ball. Rest for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Roll into 16 balls and press each into a disc 7 cm across and 1 cm thick between two sheets of plastic.
10 minStep 4: Heat a dry comal or heavy frying pan over a medium-low heat. Cook the gorditas for 3–4 minutes a side, until puffed slightly, firm and spotted dark brown. A common mistake is a hot pan: the outside scorches while the inside is raw.
25 minStep 5: Wrap in a cloth to keep soft and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gorditas de la Villa take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of piloncillo or dark brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
- What can I use instead of ground cinnamon?
- A cinnamon stick, ground: about ½ tsp per stick.
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