Tamales are a wonderful food made of various fillings inside a corn masa shell. The whole thing is steamed while wrapped inside a corn husk. When it is done, you have a delicious traditional Mexican dish. The great thing about tamales is you can make them savory or sweet. Fill them with meat, vegetables, or sweet fruit filling. You will love all the variations.
It may take some practice to perfect your tamales, but once you have got it mastered, you will be able to make large batches ahead of time and freeze them until you need them. Since tamales are a big undertaking, it was common for families to get together to make large quantities.
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If you like these tamales filled with apples, try experimenting a bit with other fruit fillings. You should also try savory versions to make for your main meal.
Recipe for Sweet Tamales
Tamales can be either savory or sweet.
What You Need
4 ounces of dried corn husks (approximately 32 husks) 1-1/4 cups masa harina 1-1/4 cups boiling water 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped 1/3 cup raisins 1 cup and 1 Tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 cups water 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt
How to Make It
Separate the corn husks and soak them in a large bowl of hot water for about an hour. They should become pliable.
In a medium bowl, add 1-1/4 cups boiling water to the masa harina. Beat until smooth with a wooden spoon. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it cool to room temperature; about an hour.
Place the apples, raisins, 5 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 3 cups of water in a medium pot and simmer over medium temperature for half an hour. Strain, retaining 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Move the fruit to a bowl and use a fork to mash it. Add vanilla. Set aside with the cooking liquid to cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat the shortening on medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the masa dough and remaining sugar and cinnamon. Beat until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the retained cooking liquid gradually, beating until the mixture feels like thick cake batter. Add the baking powder and salt. Beat the mixture for another minute.
Drain the husks. Tear 8 of the husks lengthwise into 48 thin strips. Set aside. Place 24 husks on the work surface, concave side up. Fill the center of each husk with 2 tablespoons of masa dough. Put 1 heaping teaspoon of fruit in the center of the dough. Fold the long sides so they cover the filling. Tie the ends of the tamale closed with the strips of husk. Repeat until all 24 are finished. Place them upright, leaning against each other, in the steamer top.
Place the steamer over a pot of simmering water over medium heat. Cover. Steam until the husks separate easily from the tamale, about an hour.
Allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 24 tamales.
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