Last May I wrote an article for Buffalo Rising about tostadas, a delightful and versatile Mexican dish. Within that article I touched on tortillas and how they are--by their own right--not only a staple of Mexican cuisine, but a culture unto themselves. I also mentioned that I have never used corn or flour tortillas to make any dessert, and I didn't know anyone who had...until now.
This past July, I traveled to my homeland with one of my children and my dear friend and photographer Scott. My special agenda was to compile all of the information I needed including interviews, ideas and pictures, in order to finish writing my cookbook. We traveled to many places within the Mexican Republic, and needless to say, we had no down time. A month later, after having compiled everything we thought we needed, my son Patrick and I parted ways with Scott, who continued his travels down the pacific coast of Mexico, while we returned to Mexico City to enjoy our last days there with my mother.
During our stay I spent one whole day digging through family recipe cards, logs and books that are, for lack of a better word, “ancestral”. Sadly, most of the writings I went through have just lain there, collecting years worth of dust even though most are certainly worth salvaging.
Buried in there I found a recipe for a tortilla dessert. Ahhhhh…that moment was pure bliss! Granted, it is nothing fancy, just simple ice-cream cones, but they are fun and easy to make--especially if you have young kids. They are very tasty, affordable and visually appealing…it really cannot get better than that. The portions are excellent, too.
In my everyday cooking, I almost always endorse the use of corn tortillas; this time however, the recipe calls for the flour kind. I like the Banderita brand that you can always get at Wegmans. Try looking for them on the lower shelf in the “Mexican” aisle near the refried beans and salsas. You can also use any other brand of flour tortillas provided that they are not flavored or colored.
Tortilla Cones makes 12
6 flour tortillas ∙ 1 egg ∙ sugar ∙ cooking spray ∙ ice cream (any flavor) ∙toppings (colored sugars, chocolate chips, toffee pieces, etc.) ∙ toothpicks
Pre-heat oven to 350°
Lightly beat the egg and set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray, set aside. Cut the tortillas in half. Working with one tortilla at a time, make little cones by folding one edge of the tortilla upwards and folding the rest around it (for a visual example, please refer to picture). Hold it in place with a toothpick. Repeat this until you have 12 cones.
Place the cones on the baking sheet; brush thoroughly with the egg wash covering all areas. Sprinkle them well with white sugar. Bake approximately 7 minutes; checking frequently to ensure they don’t burn. They will be done with they turn an amber color and the tops are light brown.
When done, remove from oven and transfer the cones to a cooling rack. Once cool, fill with your favorite ice-cream flavor, sprinkle with the toppings of your choice and enjoy!