Source: Mexican Desserts by Socorro Muñoz.
Makes 10 servings.
Preparation time: 3 hours
Tips: Make them small, they are very rich. Serve as dessert.
Tamales de Dulce
Sweet Tamales
Ingredients
Preparation
1 1/2 cups lard or vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
10 3/4 ounces chicken broth
4 1/2 cups masa harina (Maseca brand preferred)
1. In a large bowl combine lard, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Beat with electric mixer until fluffy.
2. In a separate bowl combine broth and Masa Harina, mix well. Combine with shortening mixture. Beat until a small amount of dough floats to the top in a cup of water.
3. Select a filling combination:
a) Raisins, cheese, Apples, nuts (chopped Almonds, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts).
b) Coconut, raisins, candied fruits, nuts.
c) Quince jam (membrillo) or favorite fruit preserve. d) Candied pineapple, coconut, nuts, pureed prunes.
4. Prepare husks: Soak corn husks overnight in warm to hot water to soften. Separate husks, removing remaining silk. Rinse thoroughly until clean. Pat dry with paper towels.
5. Forming tamales: Spread husks using a spatula. Place a tablespoonful of cornmeal mixture on each husk. Spread to both sides. (Leave approx. one inch near the edges for neat rolling.) Spoon desired filling on top of masa and roll the corn-husk jelly-roll fashion. The first roll should cover the filling. Fold down ends and tie with a string or piece of cornhusk.
6. Place tamales in an upright position in a steamer for 30 to 45 minutes. Tamales peels easily from husks when done. Tamales freeze well. If frozen, defrost and reheat in steamer for 20 minutes.
NOTE: When serving sweet tamales, always provide a special dish on the table for guests to remove the husks from their plate.
