Corn and Corn husk Recipe #2-Apple Tamales
I have searched high and low over the years for dessert tamale recipes. I finally found a pineapple one a few years ago. While I truly love pineapple, it never survives in the house long enough for me to do this, as I eat it that quick. One thing I always have is dried apples or dried pears, either work great in this recipe. Piloncillo is a Mexican sugar, comes in cones and was used from WAY BACK. It is worth the trip to a bodega or the internet to get it, as brown sugar will work, but piloncillo is better.
Apple Tamales
Ingredients
40 to 50 dried corn husks
Hot water
3/4 cup firmly packed crushed piloncillo
1/4 cup lard, at room temperature
1/4 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups masa harina
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
3/4 to 1 cup warm water
Filling
1 cup dried apples
½ cup piloncillo crushed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup raisins
Warm water
How to make Sweet apple Tamales
Place cornhusks in large pan; cover husks with hot water. Set aside and allow to soften at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours. Do not drain until just before assembly of the tamales
For filling, combine dried apples, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in a large bowl. Add just enough warm water to cover the fruit. Allow the fruit to rehydrate. Trick is to do this so that at the end, you have relatively dry hydrated fruit. Stir in the crushed piloncillo.
Masa Batter, combine piloncillo, lard and butter in large mixer bowl; beat until light and fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Mix masa harina, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat masa harina mixture into butter mixture, 1/4 cup (60 mL) at a time; beat until thoroughly blended. Gradually beat in warm water, using just as much needed to form dough that just holds together.
Assembly: Remove a husk from the water. Pat dry as you don’t won’t excess water on your husk. Lay the husk flat and spread Spread 2 tablespoons masa batter in center of each husk. Spoon 1 tablespoon apple filling lengthwise down center of masa. Fold husk over filling, allowing plain part of husk to wrap around tamale. Fold bottom end up over enclosed filling. Make 30 tamales in all.
Fold tamales, place in steamer basket and steam
To Serve, I think everyone should have the option of unwrapping their own steaming tamale to do it for them would be like opening someone else’s Christmas present. Serve plain, or my favorite is with Dulce La Leche (if you have a Bodega in your area, you might be able to get a great goat’s milk Dulce la Leche, if not any caramel sauce will do, whipped cream or ice cream all the better.
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