Sweet Coconut Tamales With Chocolate Shavings Recipes

CHOCOLATE HOT TAMALE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the butter and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the mixer to medium speed and mix just until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients; almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, sugar, ancho chili powder.
• Add the egg and mix just until combined, about 30 seconds.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and pat into a disk. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough about 1/4-inch thick. Use a knife to cut a square about the size of the mold. Press the dough into the mold. Be sure to press firmly so the impressions of the mold are transferred onto the dough. Remove the dough and place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
• If you do not want to make a mold, you can also use cookie cutters. To do so, roll the dough to the desired size on a lightly floured work surface. Press the cookie cutters into the dough. Lift the cutter and place the cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes.

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 .

SWEET COCONUT TAMALES WITH CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS

Steps:

• Soak the corn husks in simmering water for 20 minutes. They should be soft and flexible, and turn a deep beige color. Wrap the corn husks in a damp paper towel until you are ready to use them.
• Combine the masa harina with the whole milk and the coconut milk and mix well. The masa should have the consistency of a stiff dough. Set aside.
• Combine the shortening and sugar in a mixing bowl. Using a hand-held or standing electric mixer, beat the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add a quarter of the masa to the shortening mixture and beat until well blended. Add a second quarter of the masa to the mixture and beat until well incorporated. Continue until all the masa is blended. Keep beating for another 5 minutes in order for the dough to achieve the right texture and consistency. You will know you have reached the right texture if a teaspoon of the dough floats in a cup of cold water. If after 15 minutes of constant beating your dough does not float, move on (despite it not floating, the dough will be fine).
• Add 2/3 cup of the toasted coconut flakes to the dough along with the baking powder, cinnamon, and the salt and beat lightly until fully incorporated.
• Place a corn husk lengthwise in front of you with the wide side closest to you. Spread 1/4 cup of the dough all over the bottom half of the corn husk, leaving about a 1-inch-wide border on the left and right side. (See page 51 for photographs showing how to assemble tamales.)
• Pick up the two long sides of the corn husk and unite them, forming a solid log. Roll both sides of the corn husks in the same direction over the tamal. Fold down the empty top section of the corn husk and secure it by tying a thin strip of corn husk around the tamal.
• Repeat this process until all of the corn husks or tamal dough is used up.
• Create a tamal steamer by crumbling a large piece of aluminum foil into a large ball and place the ball in the center of a large saucepan. Arrange the tamales "standing up" around it. You can stand tamales in front of each other, just make sure that the open end of each tamal is facing upward.
• Pour in 1/2 inch of water. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the Mexican crema with the cream of coconut. (You can easily make more by combining equal amounts of each ingredient.)
• Serve the tamales warm. After opening a tamal, top with a sprinkling of shaved chocolate and some of the remaining toasted coconut flakes and drizzle with a bit of coconut cream, or let guests garnish their own. Serve extra toppings on the side.
• INGREDIENTS
• Masa Harina
• The flour used in tamal making is a special cornmeal that has been treated with lime and as such produces the characteristic aroma, flavor, and texture that is associated with tamales. Regular cornmeal cannot be substituted.
• Cream of Coconut
• Do not confuse cream of coconut with coconut milk. Cream of coconut is much sweeter and thicker than the milk. (It is one of the key ingredients in piña coladas.)
• TECHNIQUES
• Toasting Coconut Flakes
• Sprinkle the coconut flakes in single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 300°F oven. Allow to bake for about 8 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Be on the lookout because coconut tends to burn rather quickly. However, it will send out a warning signal with the toasted coconut aroma. So as soon as you smell coconut, check on it.
• Shaving Dark Chocolate
• This is easily done with a bar of chocolate and a vegetable peeler. Hold the bar of chocolate with one hand (you may want to keep part of it in its wrapper so that the chocolate doesn't melt in your hands) and peel off chocolate shavings with the peeler.
• ADVANCE PREPARATION
• Reheating Tamales
• Cooked tamales can be refrigerated for a couple of days and reheated in a steamer or in the microwave. If using the microwave, place the tamales in a bowl and pour in 1/4 inch of water. Seal with plastic wrap and heat for 2 minutes. The steam created within the plastic will reheat the tamales. If reheating in a steamer, recreate the tamal steamer explained in the recipe and steam for 5 minutes.
• Assembled but uncooked tamales can also be frozen. When ready to use, steam them straight from the freezer for 1 hour 20 minutes (twice the cooking time). Do not defrost before cooking.

SWEET TAMALES WITH PINEAPPLE AND COCONUT

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for about 3 hours. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Combine pineapple, water, and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until pineapple is very soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain.
• Mix masa dough with butter and baking powder in a bowl until well combined. Add cooked pineapple, coconut, and raisins; knead into a smooth dough.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 1 tablespoons masa mixture onto the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. 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 45 minutes. Let tamales stand for 15 minutes before serving.

SWEET RAISIN TAMALES

Steps:

• PILONCILLO SYRUP:, Bring water with cinnamon stick and cloves to a boil; remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1/2 hour. On low heat, add the piloncillo and let melt. Remove from heat, cover, and let cool. Discard cinnamon stick and cloves., MAKE TAMALE MASA:, Place lard in a large stand mixer with a flat beater and mix until fluffy, scraping sides so the lard stays in the center of the mixing bowl. Add the baking powder and salt and mix all together., Add the masa and mix until combined. Slowly add the cooled syrup and fold the raisins into the masa mixture until combined., PREPARE CORN HUSKS (OJAS):, Soak corn husks in water for an hour before using. Rinse well with running water to take off any dust or corn husk fibers. To keep corn husks pliable and easy to work with, keep in water while filling tamales. Place a handful of wet corn husks in a colander to drain before using., SPREAD MASA:, Place the wide end of the husk on the palm of your hand. The narrow end is at the top. Starting at the middle of the husk, with the back of a spoon, spread 2 tablespoons of the masa in a rectangle or oval shape, using a downward motion toward the wide-bottom edge. Do not spread the masa to the ends; leave about a 2-inch border on the left and right sides of the husk., FILL CORN HUSKS:, Fold both sides to the center; finish off by bringing the pointed end of the husk toward the filled end. Make sure it's a snug closure so the tamale will not open during steaming. Secure by tying a thin strip of corn husk around the tamale. This will keep the tamale from unwrapping during the steaming process, especially if the husk is too thick and will not stay folded., STEAM TAMALES:, Use a deep pot or tamale steamer to steam the tamales. If using a tamale steamer, fill with water up to the fill line. Set the tamale rack over the water. Place tamales upright with folds against the sides of the other tamales to keep them from unfolding. Cover pot with a tight fitting lid. Set heat on high and bring to a boil, about 15 minutes. Lower heat and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours. Keep lid on tightly. To test for doneness, place one tamale on a plate and take off the corn husk. If it comes off without sticking to the tamale, they're done.

SWEET TAMALES

Steps:

• If using corn husks, soak in warm water for a 1/2 hour until pliable and then drain. If using banana leaves, Defrost the banana leaves overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, and cut off any hard sections or sections with holes. Cut the leaves into unbroken 12 inch pieces. If the leaves are pliable, proceed with the recipe. If not steam the banana leaves in the top of a double boiler until soft and pliable, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside until ready to assemble the tamales.
• In a small saucepan gently heat the rum. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with the warm rum. Let the raisins soak and absorb the rum while you prepare the masa.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the vegetable shortening until very light, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and half of the masa and beat until combined. Mix the milk and coconut milk and add alternately with the remaining masa in several batches to the mixture until the mixture is the consistency of medium-thick cake batter. Add baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, and beat for 30 more seconds. Add the melted butter and beat to incorporate, being careful not to overmix.
• Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the masa batter into the center of a banana leaf. Place about 2 teaspoons of the plumped raisins in the center. Fold 1 side over the batter and then the other to enclose the filling. Bring the bottom and the top over the filling to create a package. Tie the tamale with a piece of string, and repeat with the remaining masa batter and filling.
• If using corn husks spoon about 2 tablespoons masa down the center of the husk and then about a tsp of raisins. Fold both sides over the masa and then fold up the bottom. (Please refer to the photos for guidance).
• Line an insert steamer with a layer of unused banana leaves. Lay the tamales in the lined steamer, and steam over simmering water until the tamales are cooked through and release easily from the banana leaf wrappers about 1 1/2 hours.

SWEET ORANGE 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.
• Combine oranges and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to turn into jam, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
• While jam is cooling, place lard in a large bowl, add 2 or 3 ice cubes, and beat with an electric mixer until soft and creamy. Beat in 1 1/4 cups sugar until well incorporated.
• Combine masa dough and baking powder in a separate bowl. Knead together for a few minutes. Add masa to lard mixture. Mix in milk alternately with orange juice, beating continuously with the electric mixer. Mix in cooled jam, raisins, and almonds.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. 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. Let tamales stand for 15 minutes before serving.

CINNAMON-SPICED CHOCOLATE TAMALES

Steps:

• Soak corn husks in hot water 30 min.; drain.
• Spread 2 Tbsp. tamale dough into 3x2-inch rectangle down center of each husk, leaving about 2-inch uncovered space at top of husk.
• Spoon 1 Tbsp. chocolate and 1 tsp. coconut down center of each husk; fold over sides, then both ends of husk to enclose filling.
• Steam in a tamalera 1 hour or until done, adding water when needed. (Tamales are cooked when they pull away from husks.) Cool slightly.