Sweet Orange Tamales Recipes

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.

SWEET CINNAMON TAMAL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat an 8x8" metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk masa, baking powder, salt, and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a medium bowl.
• Pulse corn kernels in a blender or food processor until very coarsely puréed, just a few seconds should do it.
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and raw sugar until pale and slightly fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in corn purée and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in dry ingredients; mix until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape into prepared pan and cover tightly with foil. Set baking pan inside a large roasting pan; pour in boiling water to come halfway up sides of baking pan.
• Bake tamal until top springs back when lightly pressed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 75-85 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan before serving.
• Mix crème fraîche and 2/3 cup queso fresco in a small bowl. Scoop tamal onto plates and top with crème fraîche mixture, more queso fresco, and a dusting of cinnamon.

SWEET CINNAMON TAMALE WITH APPLES

Steps:

• For the apple compote: Set a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and green apples. Saute until the apples soften, 1 to 2 minutes, and then add the raisins, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Add 1/4 cup of water and simmer until the apples are cooked through and the raisins are plumped, about 5 minutes. Set the compote aside to cool on a plate.
• For the tamales: Mix the masa harina, 1 1/4 cups water, butter, salt and agave into a thick paste. Fold the apple compote into the masa mixture.
• Set a corn husk out on a flat surface (double up or shingle 2 husks if they are small or have tears). Add 5 tablespoons of the masa mix into the center of the corn husk. Push the mixture to 1 inch from the side of the husk. Fold one edge of the husk to the center and then fold the other side to cover the entire tamale. Fold the ends over by 2 inches and tuck under to hold in place.
• Place a colander in large pot of boiling water, but do not let the colander touch the water. Place the tamales in the colander, cover and steam the tamales for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Serve the tamales topped with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel.

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 DESSERT TAMALES

Steps:

• To prepare the filling, place the pine nuts in a hot, dry skillet, toast over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned; set aside.
• Place the butter, baking powder, salt, honey, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
• Cream on high speed until light and smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Add the masa harina and turn down the speed to low.
• Add the milk, canela, raisins, dried cherries, dried apricots, candied papaya, orange zest, and toasted pine nuts and mix until a firm dough forms.
• Work the dough by hand for about 1 minute, until the dough is thoroughly mixed.
• Divide into 8 equal pieces.
• Drain corn husks and shake dry.
• Tear 16 thin strips (about 1/8 inch wide) from 2 husks and set aside for tying the tamales.
• Lay out the remaining 8 corn husks.
• Take a portion of the dough, place in a corn husk and spread out evenly, leaving about 1-1/2 inches of exposed corn husk at each end and 3/4 inch at each side.
• Bring the sides of the corn husk together, folding the dough; tuck one side of the husk under the other and roll up the tamale so the dough is completely enclosed inside the husk.
• Twist each end and tie with the reserved strips of corn husk.
• Repeat for the remaining tamales.
• Steam the tamales for 30 to 35 minutes over lightly boiling water, adding more boiling water as needed.
• The tamales are done when they feel firm to the touch but are not hard and the dough comes away easily from the husk.