Tamal Dulce Recipes

SWEET TAMALES (TAMALES DULCES)

Steps:

• Place butter and sugar in a medium size bowl and, with the help of a mixer, beat for a couple of minutes until it has a creamy texture. About 2 minutes.
• In a larger bowl, mix Masa Harina, baking Powder and raisins. Stir well and then add the warm water little by little.
• While mixing the dry ingredients with the water, add the drops of red food coloring. Mix well to have a uniform color.
• Once you've incorporated the food coloring into the dough, it will look slightly pink. Now add the butter and sugar mixture.
• Beat the dough with your hands or a wooden spoon, as the dough is somehow too heavy to work with your mixer unless you have a Heavy Duty Stand Mixer like Kitchen Aid. The dough will be ready when it looks fluffy and creamy, like a very soft ice cream. If your dough seems too dry, add a little more water. The consistency has to be very soft.
• Drain the corn husks from the soaking water. Place about 1/3 cup of the dough over the corn husk and wrap the tamal. If you're also making savory tamales, you can tie the sweet tamales in order to differentiate them from the savory ones. Keep assembling the rest of the tamales.
• Place the tamales standing up in your steam pot (Tamalera), add about an inch of hot water, cover with corn husks, aluminum foil or a plastic bag, and then cover with the pot lid. Cook for 1 to 1 1/4 hour at medium heat. Add more hot water if needed to avoid burning the tamales.

TAMALES DE DULCE

Steps:

• Simmer the husks in water to cover for about 10 minutes. Weight with a plate to keep them submerged, and leave to soak for 1 or 2 hours, or until they are completely flexible. Place the raisins in a small bowl, cover them with the apple juice, and leave to macerate. With an electric mixer, beat the lard or butter until it is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and half of the fresh masa, and beat them into the mixture. Little by little, alternate adding the milk and the remaining masa, beating in between each addition, until the mixture is the consistency of thick batter. Beat in the salt, baking powder, and cinnamon and continue beating for 1 minute longer.
• Separate out 12 of the largest and most flexible husks, they should be at least 6 inches wide and 6 or 7 inches long. Reserve the remaining husks for tieing the tamales. If there aren't enough large husks, overlap them to give a nice wide surface to spread the dough on. Pat the leaves dry with a tea towel. Place about 1/3 cup of the batter in the center of each husk, top with a few raisins (use a slotted spoon to remove the raisins from the apple juice) and figs, and wrap and tie the husks as usual to enclose the dough. Steam the tamales for 2 1/2 hours, or until they come easily free of the wrappers. Cool slightly and serve, with crema and chopped mango or papaya, if desired