Tamales Dulces (Sweet Tamales)

[nverland]

Tamales Dulces (Sweet Tamales)
Prep: 50 mins Cook: 90 mins Total: 2 hrs 20 mins Yield: 20 tamales

Ingredients

For the Hibiscus Jam Filling
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
2 whole cardamom pods, lightly cracked open
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups water

For the Masa Dough
2 1/2 cups (240 grams) masa harina
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup coconut oil
1 vanilla bean pod, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup rice milk, or other plant-based milk
25 to 30 corn husks


Steps to Make It

Make the Filling
Gather the ingredients.
In a medium saucepan, combine dried hibiscus petals, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 teaspoon each of ginger and nutmeg, and 1 cup of sugar. Pour in water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the liquid reduces by a little more than half into a light syrup, about 35 minutes.
Remove from heat. Allow to cool, about 15 minutes, then remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.
Add the syrup and hibiscus petals to a blender and blend into a smooth, thick consistency. Scrape into a smaller bowl and set aside.

Make the Dough
Gather masa dough ingredients.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together masa harina, sugar, baking powder, salt, ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves.
In another large bowl, whip the coconut oil with an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Fold the masa and spices mixture into the coconut oil. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the mixture (or add vanilla extract).
Gradually pour in the rice milk while whipping with the mixer until the dough is airy and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Assemble and Cook the Tamales
Submerge corn husks in a deep bowl of hot water. Soak until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes.
Working with 2 to 4 husks at a time, or 1 at a time, if you are a beginner, shake off excess water before laying the husk out onto a clean work surface area. If your husks are very narrow, use two overlapping husks.
Take 2 or 3 of the husks, and tear them lengthwise, following the grain, into quarter-inch-thick strips. Set aside on a small plate.
Set out your ingredients in an assembly line: your corn husks, your masa, and your filling.
Spoon 1/4 cup of dough closer to the wider end of each husk and spread out into a 3 x 3 square. Top with 1 tablespoon of the hibiscus jam in the center of the dough.
Now you are ready to fold the tamales. Carefully bring the sides together to meet at the center, enclosing the filling.
Then fold the bottom tip of the husk over the filled section. If your jam is a little loose, some of it might leak out of the top or bottom, but that's ok, as long as it's held inside the corn husk.
Take one of the husk strips and use it to tie the tamale together, crosswise. Set aside.
Set a steamer basket inside a large pot and pour water just until it reaches the basket. Bring the water to a simmer. Begin layering in the tamales, folded-end down. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat. Steam for 50 minutes, checking water occasionally to replace if it evaporates.
Once tamales are cooked, remove from the pot and cool until they can be handled. Best when eaten immediately.

Warnings
After steaming the tamales, open the lid slowly and carefully. The steam released can be hot enough to burn skin.

Tips
Take time to invest in high-quality ingredients for the best-tasting and most nutrient-rich results.
We recommend Bob’s Red Mill masa harina, available at most grocery stores, or Masienda masa harina, available online.
Masa harina, and corn husks may be found in the International section of your grocery store, or at a Latin American market.
We recommend buying spices from Diaspora Co. for the freshest flavors.

Variations
It's traditional, especially in central Mexico, to tint sweet tamales pink using food coloring or other natural food coloring. This is especially helpful if your household is making different kinds of tamales on the same day. Add a few drops of coloring to the masa after you've achieved the consistency you want. Whip just long enough to evenly distribute the coloring.
Hibiscus flowers are sold in most Latin American markets (as flor de jamaica) and in many tea shops. You can also find them online. If you have trouble finding dried hibiscus petals, you can substitute with fresh or frozen cherries, cranberries, and even chopped roasted beets.
Experiment with other fillings, such as pineapple preserves and raisins, strawberry jam and cream cheese, shredded coconut, and dulce de leche or cajeta with pecans and cream cheese.
If you have access to fresh masa, use the same measurements of masa dough ingredients, except for the rice milk. You will most likely need less liquid, so be careful to add it gradually.
Serve tamales drizzled with caramel sauce.
Make the tamales with banana leaves instead of corn husks. Trim the leaves to 8-inch squares. Use the same method to fold and then tie shut with kitchen string.

How to Store and Freeze
Store cooked and cooled tamales in an airtight container, a zip lock or vacuum-sealed bag, in the refrigerator.
Keep tamales in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To reheat refrigerated tamales, steam in husks for 5 to 8 minutes, or reheat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
To freeze tamales, wrap individually in foil, then place in a freezer-safe bag.
Thaw frozen tamales overnight in the refrigerator and re-steam for 5 to 8 minutes. Or, skip thawing in the fridge and re-steam for 15 minutes.

Make Ahead
You can make the hibiscus jam one to three days in advance. The masa dough is best made right before making the tamales.