Sweet Tamales With Pineapple And Coconut Food

PINEAPPLE, PECAN AND COCONUT-RUM TAMALES

Steps:

• Soak the corn husks in a bowl of hot water, using a plate to keep them submerged, until pliable, 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the dough: Mix the masa harina and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 10 tablespoons butter and 3/4 cup warm water and mix with the paddle attachment until combined. Add the granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, the almond and vanilla extracts and ground cinnamon; mix until combined, about 1 more minute. Cover and refrigerate.
• Make the filling: Simmer 1/2 cup water and the cinnamon stick in a saucepan until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cook, stirring to dissolve, about 1 minute. Add the pineapple, honey and cinnamon water, including the cinnamon stick; cook, stirring, until the mixture is almost dry, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Add the rum, then return to medium heat. Tilt the pan so the rum ignites (or hold a lit match near the sauce to ignite it). Cook until the pineapple is slightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pecans; set aside to cool.
• Drain the husks and pat dry. Tear each husk lengthwise into a 3 1/2-inch-wide piece. Tear some of the excess husks into 18 thin strips for ties; reserve the husk scraps. Lay the 3 1/2-inch-wide husks on a clean surface. Starting 1/2 inch from the wide end, spread 1 tablespoon of the dough down a husk, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the sides. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the pineapple filling down the center of the dough. Roll lengthwise into a tight cylinder. Fold up the narrow end; tie with a strip of corn husk to secure. Repeat with the remaining husks, dough and filling.
• Set a steamer basket in a large pot filled with 1 to 2 inches of water. Set a small bowl upside down in the basket, then arrange the tamales standing up in the steamer, folded-side down, leaning against the bowl. Cover with husk scraps, then lay a damp kitchen towel on top. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, cover and steam until the tamales pull away from the husks, about 40 minutes. Remove from the steamer and let cool slightly before unwrapping.

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 PINEAPPLE TAMALES

Steps:

• 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.
• While corn husks are soaking, combine masa dough, baking soda, and water in a bowl. Knead until dough has a smooth and even consistency, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed. Take care not to add too much water.
• Beat butter, vegetable shortening, and sugar together in a second bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Slowly add masa dough and knead until mixture has a uniform consistency. Mix in chopped pineapple.
• Spread about 1 tablespoon masa mixture onto a corn husk. Fold the bottom of the husk over the filling, then fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Finally fold the top of the husk into the tamale, making a little package. 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, then reduce heat to medium low. Add tamales with the open side up and cook covered until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour.

PINA COLADA TAMALES

Steps:

• Use a food processor to finely chop the dried banana; combine the banana, almonds and coconut in a bowl.
• Use 2 husks to make strips for tying the tamales.
• Take about 1 cup of the pineapple and puree it with the fruit juice and brown sugar.
• Cream the shortening and sugar.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the masa and salt.
• Alternately add the masa and juice to the creamed shortening to make a firm dough; beat in the baking powder last.
• Assembly: Spread 1 tablespoon filling in the center of a husk; sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of the banana/almond mixture over the dough and press a pineapple chunk into the dough.
• Spread another tablespoon of the dough over the the filling and fold and tie the tamale.
• Steam for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• To Serve: Open the tamale and top with sauce, whipped cream, and lime zest.

COCONUT TAMALES

Steps:

• Soak corn husks in large bowl of hot water for 1/2 hour, then separate and continue to soak until pliable, up to 1/2 hour more. Tear one or two husks into 1/4-inch strips to use for tying the tamales.
• Boil 1 cup water in medium saucepan. Remove from heat and gradually stir in masa. Cover and let cool.
• Combine 1/3 cup water, sugar, small pinch salt, and vanilla bean, if using, in small saucepan. Bring to simmer, simmer for 5 minutes. Take pan off heat and stir in coconut and vanilla flavoring or extract, if using. Cool.
• In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream butter or shortening with baking powder, if using. Add masa and coconut mixtures, and beat until dough is smooth, fluffy, and light.
• Arrange steamer rack in very large stockpot and add water to just below bottom of rack. Cover and bring water to boil.
• Place 12 drained corn husks on work surface. Put 3 to 4 tablespoons masa dough into center of one husk and spoon some raisins on top. Fold long sides over filling, then tie ends of tamale shut with husk strips.
• Repeat process to make 12 tamales. Place upright, leaning against one another, in steamer. If necessary, insert pieces of crumpled foil between tamales to keep them upright. Cover and steam until dough is firm to touch and separates easily from husk, adding more water to pot as necessary, about 1 hour.
• Serve with Slow-Braised Lamb Shanks with Guajillo-Pineapple Sauce .