Tamales dulces (sweet tamales)

Ingredients

• For the masa
• 500 g masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour)
• 200 g lard, at room temperature
• 150 g caster sugar
• 300 ml warm water or light chicken stock
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp pink or purple food colouring, pink for pineapple filling, purple for blackberry
• For the filling (pink tamales)
• 80 g raisins
• 60 g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
• For the filling (purple tamales)
• 120 g blackberry jam, or pineapple jam for pink tamales
• To assemble
• 16 dried corn husks, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes until pliable, drained

Method

1. 1
   Soak the corn husks in hot water for at least 30 minutes. They are ready when fully pliable and no longer brittle — a husk that tears when bent needs more time. Drain and pat dry before use.
2. 2
   Beat the lard in a stand mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is pale and noticeably aerated. This step is the foundation of the sweet tamale's texture: under-whipped lard produces a dense, heavy masa.
3. 3
   Combine the masa harina, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the whipped lard in three additions, alternating with the warm water, beating continuously. Add the food colouring and beat until the masa is uniform in colour and smooth. This is where the dish lives or dies: whip the masa until a small ball dropped into cold water floats — only then has sufficient air and fat been incorporated for the correct light, cake-like texture. A sinking ball means the masa needs more beating.
4. 4
   Lay a drained corn husk flat, broad end toward you. Spread approximately 60 g of masa across the upper two-thirds of the husk in an even layer no more than 5 mm thick, leaving a border at the sides and a clear margin at the narrow end. The layer should look uniform — thin patches will tear during steaming.
5. 5
   Place a small, restrained quantity of filling — a few raisins and a pinch of chopped nuts, or a scant teaspoon of jam — at the centre of the masa. The filling must be minimal: excess jam or fruit collapses the masa and produces a syrupy interior.
6. 6
   Fold one long side of the husk over the filling, then fold the second side to overlap. Fold the narrow end up and underneath. Stand the tamales upright, open end up, in a steamer basket lined with spare husks. Pack them snugly so they support one another — loosely packed tamales lean and unfold.
7. 7
   Steam over steadily boiling water for 1 to 1.5 hours, replenishing the water as needed. Do not reduce the time on the assumption that sweet tamales cook faster than savoury — the masa requires the full period. The tamale is done when the masa pulls cleanly away from the husk without sticking.
8. 8
   Turn off the heat and leave the tamales in the covered steamer for 15 minutes. The masa continues to set as it cools slightly. Served immediately from the heat, the masa is wet and sticky; after resting, it is firm, sliceable, and cohesive.