STONE TAMALES
November 22, 2019
JALAPEÑO AND PINEAPPLE SALSA
November 26, 2019
STRAWBERRY TAMALES
Tamal de fresa
Generous ¾ pound fresh ripe strawberries, tops removed and berries quartered (about 3 cups)
¼ pound ripe raspberries (1 scant cup) 1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups tamale flour (masa harina para tamales)
1 scant cup powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried cherries
20 drops red food coloring (recommended)
22 to 24 dried corn husks, soaked in warm water for ½ hour and drained well
¼ pound ripe raspberries (1 scant cup) 1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups tamale flour (masa harina para tamales)
1 scant cup powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried cherries
20 drops red food coloring (recommended)
22 to 24 dried corn husks, soaked in warm water for ½ hour and drained well
EQUIPMENT:
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
➙ MAKES 22 TO 24 ★
➙ MAKES 22 TO 24 ★
When my mom drives from Mexico City to my sister’s house in Cuernavaca, she often stops along the way at a little shop devoted to tamales. She’ll pick up a few dozen light, fluffy, sweet tamales, their doughs infused with the flavor of fruits like strawberries. These are just the thing to bring out as a special dessert at a dinner party. Traditionally, these tamales are dyed with cochineal, the little bug that provided the world with red coloring, but twenty drops of red food coloring will do the trick.
MAKE THE FILLING:
★ Combine the strawberries, raspberries, sugar, vanilla extract, and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Set the pan over mediumhigh heat, let the mixture come to a strong simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries are fully softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, let it cool to room temperature, then blend it until very smooth.
★ Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the butter on high until it’s white, fluffy, and tripled in volume (it’ll look like vanilla icing), 7 to 8 minutes.
★ Combine the tamale flour and 2¼ cups of water in a large bowl and mix with your hands until you have a homogenous dough.
★ Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt to the butter, then mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute or so.
★ Alternately add the dough, 1 Ping-Pong ball–sized piece at a time, and some of the berry puree until you’ve added them all. Keep beating, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the dough looks fluffy and light, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the dried cherries and food coloring, if using it, beating just until well incorporated.
★ “Candy-wrap” and steam the tamales according to the instructions on page 103. They’ll take about 1 hour to cook.
★ Combine the strawberries, raspberries, sugar, vanilla extract, and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Set the pan over mediumhigh heat, let the mixture come to a strong simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries are fully softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, let it cool to room temperature, then blend it until very smooth.
★ Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the butter on high until it’s white, fluffy, and tripled in volume (it’ll look like vanilla icing), 7 to 8 minutes.
★ Combine the tamale flour and 2¼ cups of water in a large bowl and mix with your hands until you have a homogenous dough.
★ Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt to the butter, then mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute or so.
★ Alternately add the dough, 1 Ping-Pong ball–sized piece at a time, and some of the berry puree until you’ve added them all. Keep beating, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the dough looks fluffy and light, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the dried cherries and food coloring, if using it, beating just until well incorporated.
★ “Candy-wrap” and steam the tamales according to the instructions on page 103. They’ll take about 1 hour to cook.