How to Make Sweet Tamales

Many recipes for sweet tamales are complicated and difficult to follow, but this one is easy. It uses a masa harina mix that you can buy in Mexican food markets and in some supermarkets, too.

Things You'll Need

• Dried corn husks
• 1 cup lard
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups masa harina mix
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• Soaked corn husks
• Masa harina dough
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup raisins
• Assembled tamales
• Masa harina mix
• Brown sugar
• Pecans
• Salt
• Nutmeg
• Lard
• Raisins
• Warm water
• Cinnamon
• Baking powder

Instructions

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil then turn off the heat. Submerge the corn husks in the pot then soak for 1 hour.

2. Beat the lard and salt until it is soft and fluffy.

3. Add masa harina mix and water to the lard-add in small portions alternately, beating well after each addition.

4. Add the baking powder, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and beat well to combine.

Assembling the Tamales

1. Drain the corn husks and pat them dry.

2. Spread out one corn husk and drop 2 tsp. of dough into the center.

3. Spread the dough out to form a 3-by-2 inch rectangle. The right edge of the rectangle should almost meet the right edge of the husk.

4. Sprinkle 1 tsp. each of pecans and raisins lengthwise down the center of the dough rectangle.

5. Fold the right edge of the husk over to the center of the filling then fold the left side over to allow the husk to wrap around.

6. Fold the top end of the husk over the bottom end.

7. Tie string around the center of the tamale to secure it.

Cooking the Tamales

1. Place a rack 2 inches above gently boiling water in a steamer.

2. Place tamales on the rack folded side down.

3. Cover and steam for 2 hours.

4. Test to see if they're ready by opening 1 tamale. When it's cooked the tamale should be firm and come away from the husk easily.

Tips & Warnings

• Weigh the corn husks down with a plate to make sure they're completely submerged.

• Once you've added around 1 cup of water, test the dough. To test, add a small ball of dough to water-if the dough floats, it's ready. If it sinks you'll need to add more water, but do so in very small amounts and test after each addition.

• Avoid overfilling the tamales to make sure the wrapper stays closed.

• A 4-quart Dutch oven works well if you don't have a steamer.

• Avoid overcrowding the steamer basket and make sure each tamale has a small amount of room around it, as they'll expand as they cook.