Restaurant Recipes
El Charro Cafe Tamales de Calabaza
These are usually made for breakfast for Dia de los Muertos. Eat alone, for breakfast or a late afternoon snack.
Yield: 24 tamales
Ingredients
Masa
- 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 1/2 cups (1 pound) premixed masa
- 2 1/2 cups warm chicken broth
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin
- 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or raisins (optional)
- Dried corn husks
Instructions
Masa
- Whip vegetable shortening until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in sugar, salt and baking powder.
- Add premixed masa and broth alternately, beating until well mixed. Let stand a room temperature 5 minutes.
Filling
- In a saucepan combine pumpkin, milk, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook for one minute.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, coconut, pineapple and pecans or raisins, if using. Set mixture
aside to cool completely.
Assembly
- Soak corn husks in hot water about 30 minutes to soften.
- Remove and wipe off extra water.
- Separate corn husks. In center of each husk, spread about 2 tablespoons masa. Spoon 1 tablespoon filling lengthwise down center of masa. Fold husk over filling to encase it. (use two husks if necessary). Fold bottom, pointed end up, over enclosed filling.
- Place tamales, open end up in a steamer basket or Dutch oven fitted with a rack. Do not crowd. If necessary, place extra husks among tamales to keep them upright. Place a layer of husks over tamales; cover and steam about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
Attribution
Posted by Tiffany at Recipe Goldmine 11/13/2001 12:56.
Source: El Charro Cafe Cookbook, Tucson, Arizona