They can be eaten as dessert (though very filling), or breakfast with a cup of milk or hot coffee, or snack. It's up to you :)
I think it is best served with some Champurrado (Mexican Cinnamon Chocolate Drink)
Ingredients:
-5 lbs. pineapple tamale dough/ masa de piña preparada (store bought prepared)
-1 can 8 oz. pineapple cut into small chunks, drained
-1 8 oz. packet "Hojas de Tamal Encochadas" (dried corn husk leaves)
Directions:
(1) Soak the dried corn husk leaves 30- 60 minutes in cold water or room temperature water. Then remove and set aside
(2) Mix the pineapple dough well with the drained pineapple chunks/ pieces, set aside.
(3) Get a corn husk, put some masa on it, on the upper part like this. (sometimes some of the leaves may be too small so you may have to use two leaves
(4) Fold it so the two corners with masa stick, then tuck one side in
(5) Then fold the end upwards
(6) Set aside(7) Get a deep enough pot, and line is with corn husk. (lol. I got this picture from my other tamale post, sorry I had just forgotten to take a picture of the pot lined with corn husk when helping my mother prepare these)
(8) In pot put tamales
(9) Tuck in leaves to form a dome on the sides, Place a corn husk on the center (please note this dome is formed so water from the pots lid does not fall onto the tamales, if this happens they drown and never harden, you will get a mushy mess. (PLEASE NOTE WE RAN OUT OF CORN HUSK SO WE PUT A WET SQUEEZED TOWEL TO COVER IT)
(10) Have water boiling in a separate pot and put about 3 cups of boiling water in each pot, but ladle the water in through the sides of the dome, cover and cook on medium high heat, for about 1 1/2 hours.
(11) Take one out to test if the dough is raw or not fully cooked, when done they are ready to eat.
PLEASE NOTE:
I know I usually make this from scratch but I will repeat like I did in my other Tamale post:
"Here in the United States I feel safe to say NO ONE makes the dough from scratch, especially here in Southern Mexifornia I mean California we have so many good Mexican stores that sell quality Mexican ingredients, and prepare fresh dough daily, they sell by the pounds. The best dough down here in my opinion is from "La Amapola" a Mexican deli when we visit my aunt in Huntington Park we always stock up on Masa. But when we aren't in teh area and run out of their dough, then Vallarta (a chain of Mexican stores down here) and "El Gallo Giro" (a Mexican bakery) sell good masa.
The other option is to buy "Masa Harina" sold under the brand "Maseca" it is made of pure all natural corn, it is dried ground to a powder corn treated with lime to release the nutrients, the directions are on the packet for making the tamal dough, but I believe it's inferior to the fresh dough from the stores but still delicious."
In addition... if interested in the savory meat versions of tamales, check out my post for:
Tamales Mexicanos de Puerco en Chile Colorado y Pollo en Chile Verde (Mexican Red Pork Tamales and Green Chicken Tamales)
P.S.There may be a way to make Pineapple Tamales from scratch with "Maseca" but I honestly don't know maybe follow the directions on the packet for the savory one's and replace broth with pineapple juice, replace lard with butter, and add sugar to taste, and some chopped pineapple? I don't know.
Te aventaste Nathan! They look delicious! I may have to give these a try next time I make tamales. For us, sweet tamales are made by incorporating a syrup of piloncillo with raisins, coconut, and nuts into the dough, or alternately making that as a filling. The last time I made them, I soaked raisins and either dried cherries or cranberries in rum, and made a mixture of 1 can of sweetened condensed milk,coconut, and pecans, then added the soaked fruit. Used that as a filling. Turned out pretty good!
ReplyDeleteYaya,
ReplyDeleteYou have to teach me sometime, those sound very interesting. Is it a Tex Mex specialty? Sounds yummy. How do you make the Masa? My grandmother from my mother's side moved to San Antonio, Texas, she can't find already prepared tamale dough, do you know where to get it in Texas?
Where I live there are 'tortillerias' or molinos where you can buy freshly made masa, but it's not prepared. So you take it home and you really have to 'prepare' with seasonings and lard and make the tamales that same day you buy it because you run the risk of it going sour. Sometimes it works out if you refrigerate it overnight, but I don't like to run the risk.
ReplyDeleteNathan you've got me thinking I should post my sweet tamales recipe. I'll work on that post, and you can just copy it. Hope you like it!
Great post! I like the step by step. These look awsome! I'd love to have them for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteTamales are a favorite of ours, but they take such time to make them. Maybe I'll break down and try these!
My grandfather still makes the masa homemade from the corn to boiling it in lime water and putting the corn thru his homemade grinder. Look forward to trying this twist the next time we make tamales.
ReplyDeleteAng,
ReplyDeleteI have a "molino" at home too lol. you can actually buy the corn and the chemical for the lime water to release the nutrients, etc. the whole processing thing down here, but honestly like it's already made for us down here we have everything because we have a large Mexican and Mexican American population in Southern California.
My mom when she barely came in late 80's and then in early 90's would make it from scratch. Manteca and everything. We still render our own lard at my home :)
I have been trying to find a recipe like this for years!!! These are like the ones my nana used to make for me except she adds raisins which I'm not a fan of. In AZ I've only been able to find them filled with sweet filling which I did not like at all. I tried one year to make them nana's way and failed miserably...lol. Your step by step guide seems easy enough that I'm going to try this weekend!!! Yay and thank you!! :D
ReplyDelete