Tortillita De Cuajada
"Cuajada Tortillita"
From the treasured pages of Libro de Cosina de la Sra Concepcion Lerma de Chacon
Written by Concepción Lerma de Chacón
Tortillita De Cuajada
"Se toma una taza o alutera de maiz nixtamal, de cacahuacintle, se laba muy bien y se despues se asolea y se muele se pasa por un cedazo se buelve a moler a que quede muy remolida se le echa a la arina una taza de cabeza de quesero fresco molido un pozuelo de mantequilla derretida siete llemas de huevo y azucar al gusto se bate con la mano y se ponen en ojas de lata y se meten al orno."
English Translation
"Take a cup or tin of nixtamal corn, of cacahuacintle, wash it very well, then sun-dry it and grind it. Pass it through a sieve and grind it again until it is very finely ground. Add to the flour a cup of freshly ground quesero cheese, a bowl of melted butter, seven egg yolks, and sugar to taste. Mix it by hand and place on metal sheets and put in the oven."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in a stream-of-consciousness style typical of 19th-century manuscript cookbooks, with minimal measurements and an expectation of the cook's intuition and experience. Spelling reflects period conventions, with phonetic spellings ('laba' for 'lava', 'orfno' for 'horno', 'llemas' for 'yemas'), and little to no punctuation. Such manuscripts often served as mnemonic aids rather than step-by-step guides.
Title
Libro de Cosina de la Sra Concepcion Lerma de Chacon (1899)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Concepción Lerma de Chacón
Era
1899
Publisher
Unknown
Background
This delightful late 19th-century Mexican manuscript whisks readers into a world of decadent desserts like Dulce de leche y almendras and Cocada de natillas y almendras, savory delights such as Pollos en salsa de almendras and Lomo de cerdo enrollado, and other sumptuous creations, from Budin de papa to Sopa de gusanillos a la mexicana. It even includes intriguing pulque recipes—a true feast for the adventurous palate.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
Written in 1899, this recipe hails from the personal kitchen notebook of Sra. Concepción Lerma de Chacón, a Mexican home cook at the turn of the century. The notebook offers a window into late 19th-century domestic gastronomy, when native ingredients like nixtamalized maize and fresh cheeses featured prominently in sweets and savories alike. 'De cuajada' in the recipe name references the use of fresh curds (cheese), highlighting regional dairy traditions and the blending of indigenous and European techniques as seen throughout Mexican culinary history.
In its original form, this recipe was prepared using a metate or hand mill to grind corn, a cazo (large metal bowl) for mixing by hand, and tin baking sheets for cooking. The mixing was all done manually, usually by hand or with a wooden spoon. Baking was accomplished in a wood-fired oven, which would impart rustic aromas and sometimes uneven browning—a far cry from our controlled modern ovens.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Servings
10
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 9 oz nixtamalized maize (cacahuacintle preferred) or masa harina para tamal (1 cup)
- 7 oz fresh queso fresco (or ricotta as a substitute)
- 3 oz unsalted butter, melted (about 1/3 cup)
- 7 large egg yolks
- 1/4–1/3 cup granulated sugar (to taste)
Instructions
- To make Tortillita de cuajada, start by taking about 9 oz (1 cup) of nixtamalized maize (ideally of the cacahuacintle variety; if unavailable, use masa harina meant for tamales).
- Rinse thoroughly, sun-dry briefly if possible, then grind as finely as possible.
- Pass through a fine sieve, and grind again until the flour is very fine.
- Combine the fine maize flour with about 7 oz of fresh queso fresco (or substitute with ricotta).
- Add 3 oz (about 1/3 cup) of melted unsalted butter.
- Beat in 7 egg yolks and add granulated sugar to taste (approximately 1/4–1/3 cup, depending on sweetness preferences).
- Mix together with your hands until smooth.
- Spoon the mixture onto greased or parchment-lined baking sheets (traditionally onto metal sheets or leaves).
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) until lightly golden and set, about 20–25 minutes.
- Let cool before serving.
Estimated Calories
220 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It usually takes about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients and about 25 minutes to bake the tortillitas. This recipe makes about 10 servings, and each serving contains roughly 220 calories.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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