Miracle Maseca

Maseca is a white corn flour. I was initially introduced to it through my Columbian friend as it is a staple in her cooking. Then another friend from South America somewhere uses it as well. It has turned out to be one of the most versatile amazing flours I've used yet. I have found it in the International Foods section at Superstore here in BC although I'm sure there are many other places that carry it.

I will post quite a few recipes that I have made using this flour. Some of them come from my Columbian friend and some are just self inspired.

The basic dough recipe is on the back of the back. Basically you put a desired amount of flour into a bowl, add a dash of salt and enough water to make it the consistency of playdough. I use my hands so that you can really make sure it is blended well and then, like playdough I shape it to how I want to use it. I have done Chips and Tortillas obviously, but some of the funner things I've done with it are Pitas, Corn Poppers, Corn Dogs, 'Beaver Tails', Pancakes, Corn Fritters, Pizza, Calzones, and I'm still in the experimental phase with this...it's so much fun. It really is like playing with playdough, like i'm back in kindergarten except not only is this dough edible...it's so yummy fantastic!!

1) Pitas

Shape the dough into a flat 4-6" pancake shape. Cook on a fry pan with a little oil until golden brown. Flip until the other side is golden brown. Remove from pan and let sit until cool to touch.

Insert knife along side of pancake and slit down the middle like a pita. Then you can fill the pita with anything. Examples include: Scrambled Eggs for breakfast, sauteed onions/peppers/chicken bits, taco fillings, peanut butter/banana, garlic butter/parmasan cheese.

2) Corn Poppers

This one was a hit with my daughter. Roll the dough into little 1/2" balls. Fry with a little oil until golden brown on all sides. Sprinkle with a little salt and serve with ketchup.
Alternatives to seasonings could be: Cinnamon and Sugar, Chili seasoning, Dip in Ranch, etc.

3) Corn Dogs

These are corn dogs...for real. Take a handful of dough and an uncooked *GLUTEN FREE* Hot dog. Take the dough and press it onto the hot dog until it is fully covered. Try not to make it too thick on the ends. Once dog is covered place in oiled fry pan and cook til golden brown on all sides. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with ketchup and mustard. Or...you could insert the stick and serve traditionally.

4) Beaver Tails

Anyone ever been to the carnival? Stampede? Toronto Zoo? Pretty much they serve a big peice of fry bread doused in cinnamon and sugar. This is the same thing.

I lay a piece of saran wrap on the counter. Then place a ball of dough on the wrap. Then I take a sandwich baggie and squish the dough flat until quite thin. (Don't open the baggie, use it so that the two pieces of plastic are rubbing against each other, this way the dough doesn't rip apart)

Once dough is thin, approximately as thick as a tortilla, put in oiled fry pan and cook until golden brown and crispy on the edges. Sometimes it gets dark brown...just don't let it burn. And before it cools sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. This is a great dessert!! Serve with Ice Cream and you'll have a dessert worthy of a fancy restaurant.

5) Pancakes

Ok...so these aren't even comparable to real pancakes. Not the same texture nor the same taste. But it works. The reason I decided to try this was because we were camping and everyone else had pancakes and I didn't want to be left out. So I made my 'pitas' (see above) and instead of slitting them down the middle I just left them and topped them with whipped cream, syrup and fresh fruit. And it was quite tasty. It's a good alternative if you want something quick. It won't absorb the syrup like normal pancakes...so DON'T drown it!!

6) Corn Fritters

OOOOOhhhhhhh Corn Fritters. YUM!

Ok, so many of these recipes need some oil...and this one is definitely NOT exempt.
Oil your pan with a good layer of canola on the bottom. Once your dough is made add some sugar (you'll have to experiment until you find out how much you like) and add some corn. I used canned corn because it's all I had but i'm sure fresh would be great as would frozen. Mix up the dough with corn and sugar and place in the hot oil. Cook until golden brown. Then serve plain, with butter or with some syrup on top. Dont' eat too many or you'll feel sick...i speak from experience!!

7) Pizza

This was so easy and YUMMY!

Get a pizza pan and lightly oil. Use PAM if you'd like. press the dough into the pan (1/4" thick) and create a lip at the edge so that the sauce doesn't leak. Cook the pizza at 400F for about 10 min. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn. Once the crust is crispy at the edges remove from the stove. Put your sauce on and your toppings, put back in oven and cook until cheese is golden brown or until your desired 'doneness'. This pizza is like a thin crust, it will be a bit floppy but it sure tastes good..and you don't feel left out during a pizza party.

8) Calzone

This is similar to a pizza. Instead of using a pizza pan use a smaller single serving oven proof dish. Oil then Press the dough into the pan and up the sides of the dish. Add pizza sauce, toppings, cheese, whatever you'd like. Roll out a piece of dough like a tortilla and put on top and seal it like a pie. Put a few fork holes in it to release steam while it cooks. Brush it with olive oil and put in 400F oven for about 40 mins. Watch it until it gets golden brown. When it is done slip it out of the dish and serve. good with salad or by itself.

That's all I can think of for now, if I think of more things to do with Maseca flour I'll add it to this post.

Enjoy!!