Hoja Santa Tetelas with Almond Crema

Step 1

Cover almonds with boiling water and let soak for 15 minutes. Once they have soaked for 15 minutes remove the skin from each almond.

Step 2

Sauté onion and whole garlic cloves in a skillet with oil until lightly browned.

Step 3

Place almonds in the blender with lemon juice, salt, sautéed onion, garlic cloves, water and blend on high for 1 minute. If you need a bit more liquid add 1-2 tbsp more of filtered water. Should be super smooth!

Step 4

In a bowl, combine the masa harina and a pinch of salt. Add in warm water a little at a time (start with a cup, then add a half cup, then the final half cup), mixing with your hands.

Step 5

Once all the water is in, knead by hand for 7-10 minutes. If the mixture sticks to your hands, add a little more masa harina.

Step 6

Cover the masa with a damp paper towel and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Step 7

Using a tortilla press with two plastic liner sheets, place a leaf of hoja santa atop the bottom liner. Take a golf ball sized portion of masa and press on top of the leaf to form a tortilla, about ¼” thick.

Step 8

Remove the top plastic liner and add a dollop of almond crema to the center of the tortilla.

Step 9

Using the bottom plastic liner, fold the tortilla from the upper left diagonally towards the center, then the upper right towards the center, and finally from the bottom up towards the center to create a sealed triangle.

Step 10

Lightly drizzle oil onto a pan set over medium-heat and cook the tetela for about 2 minutes on each side.

Step 11

Garnish with salsa and avocado and enjoy!