Sweet Rice Flour Tamales Food

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.

SWEET ALMOND TAMALES WITH PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups milk and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Whisk egg yolks and 2 tablespoons masa harina together in a bowl until well combined. Add to milk, stirring constantly, until pastry cream thickens, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool for 1 hour.
• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Place almonds in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Slip the almonds out of their skins one by one, leaving the remaining almonds in the warm water. Drain almonds in a colander and finely chop.
• Beat 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar and continue to beat until mixture is very fluffy. Add 2 cups masa harina and baking powder and continue mixing dough by hand. Add milk, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough has a soft and fluffy texture. Mix in rice flour and if necessary, add more milk. Keep kneading dough until it is smooth and moist. Add almonds and continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons of dough onto the the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of pastry cream down the center of the dough. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

SWEET RICE FLOUR TAMALES

Steps:

• 1. Soak the corn husks in warm water about 20 minutes. Pat dry and wrap in a damp towel. In a 2-piece large steamer kettle, put 2 cups of hot water in the bottom and place the steamer part on top. Line the top with extra corn husks. 2. With an electric beater or mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time. In a bowl, mix rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat to combine, 20 to 30 seconds. In another bowl, beat the egg white to soft peaks. Fold into the batter. The dough should just hold its shape on a spoon. 3. Lay 1 corn husk on a working surface and put 1 generous tablespoon of the batter in a 3-inch-long band, about 1-inch wide, in the center of the husk near the wide end. Put about 6 raisins on the batter and press them in. Fold the sides of the husk to overlap, but not too tight, to leave room for the batter to expand. Twist the pointed end in the opposite direction of the seam, and set aside, folded ends down. Repeat until all husks are filled. 4. Bring the water in the steamer to a boil. Lay the tamales on the corn husks in the top of the steamer, leaving space between so they can steam evenly. Cover with foil and a damp towel to prevent steam from dripping onto the tamales. Put on the lid and steam the tamales 25 to 30 minutes, or until the dough separates easily from the husk. Serve at once. To keep, freeze in a sealed plastic freezer bag 3 to 4 weeks. Re-steam directly from the freezer.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.