Sweet pineapple tamales Mexican recipe

Two sweet pineapple Mexican tamales in a black plate and some more pineapple tamales in the background.

Sweet pineapple tamales Mexican recipe

Enjoy the sweetness of pineapple in these uniquely delicious Mexican tamales

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Course: brunch, Dessert, lunch

Cuisine: latin american, Mexican

Keyword: Mexican dessert, pineapple, sweet tamales, tamales recipe

Prep Time: 35

Cook Time: 1 20

Total Time: 1 55

Servings: tamales

Calories: 253kcal

Author: Ana Jiménez

Ingredients

30 corn husks
250 grams white rice flour sifted
68 grams all purpose flour sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
180 grams unsalted butter set at room temperature
50 grams white sugar
150 milliliters sweet condensed milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs set at room temperature
30 grams pecans chopped up
30 milliliters evaporated milk
120 grams canned pineapple cut into chunks

Metric - Us Customary

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Instructions

To a bowl with warm water, add in the corn husks. Make sure all husks are fully covered with the water. Place something slightly heavy on top of the husks so they remain submerged in the water. Let the husks sit in the water for at least 2 hours or until they've softened up and are pliable.
To a bowl, add in the white rice flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamom. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer set at speed level 2, mix the unsalted butter with the sugar for 3 minutes or until it reaches a creamy texture. If using a hand held mixer, mix for 8 minutes approximately, or until it reaches a creamy texture.
Add in to the mixer bowl the sweet condensed milk and the vanilla extract. Mix for 1 minute so it combines with the butter mixture.
To the mixer bowl, add in the eggs one by one slowly, scraping down the sides while mixing at a low speed level to avoid curdling.
Incorporate the dry ingredients (white rice flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamom) and pecans to the mixing bowl. Stir by hand with a spatula to combine.
Add in the evaporated milk and continue stirring by hand until well combined for one more minute.
Remove the husks from the water. Dry up with a kitchen towel to remove any excess water.
For the filling, spoon two tablespoons of the mixture into the corn husk and spread out. Depending on the size of the corn husk, leave about 1 -1 ½ inch of space between the masa mixture and the top and bottom of the corn husk. If you have any tears in the corn husks, use an extra piece of corn husk to patch the tear.
Add 2 or 3 pineapple chunks to the center of the tamal.
For the folding, fold the sides of the corn husks so they overlap the filling and the narrower part of the husk closes upwards.
To a tamalera or a tall pot with a steamer basket set on the bottom, add in enough water so that it almost touches the bottom of the steamer basket, but making sure that the water does not touch the steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer.
Place a layer of corn husks on top of the steamer basket.
Sit on top of this layer the tamales standing up with the folded end of the husk towards the bottom of the pot. Do not overcrowd the pot so the tamales have some room to expand.
Cover the tamales with another layer of corn husks or a kitchen towel to keep the water from evaporating too quickly. Cover the pot with a lid.
Steam the tamales for approximately 1 ¼ hr - 1 ½ hr.
To check for doneness ,pull a tamal out of the pot with kitchen tongs. Open up the tamal. If the tamal pulls away easily from the corn husk, they are done. If the masa is still sticking to the husk, rewrap the tamal, place it back in the pot, cover and let them cook for 10 more minutes.
Let the tamal rest for 10 minutes after been ready so they firm up a bit.

Notes

What can go wrong and how to fix it:

Corn Husks Breaking: If the corn husks tear or break while you're filling or folding them, they may not hold the tamal contents securely.

Solution: Make sure to soak the corn husks long enough until they are very pliable. If tears occur, you can overlap two husks or use small pieces of extra husk to patch any holes or tears before adding the filling.

Filling is Too Runny: If the tamal filling is too wet or runny, it might leak out of the husks or result in soggy tamales.

Solution: Ensure your butter and sugar are well-creamed, dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and liquid ingredients well integrated into the mix. If the mixture still seems too wet, add a little more rice flour in small increments until you reach the desired consistency.

Tamales are Undercooked: Sometimes tamales might still be sticky and not fully set when you open the husk.

Solution: Steam the tamales for the full recommended time, and if they still stick to the husk, continue steaming in 10-minute increments until the masa is firm and comes away easily from the husk.

Tamales are Too Dry: Over-steaming or too high heat can lead to dry tamales.

Solution: Ensure the steamer does not run out of water during the cooking process, and maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. Also, covering the tamales with a layer of corn husks or a damp kitchen towel can help retain moisture during steaming. To ensure the steamer does not run out of water during the cooking process, use the coin trick by adding a coin to the water underneath the steamer basket. If the coin starts rattling, it means that you need to add more water to the tamalera or pot.

Mixture curdles when adding in the eggs: Curdling is a common issue when making batters, especially when cold ingredients are mixed into creamed butter and sugar.

Solution: Ensure all your ingredients, especially the eggs, are at room temperature before mixing. Cold eggs are more likely to curdle the mixture when they're added to the creamed butter and sugar. Also, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. This gradual incorporation gives the mixture time to emulsify better, reducing the likelihood of curdling. Lastly, mix at low speed. When adding eggs, keep your mixer at a low speed. This helps to incorporate the eggs gently and evenly, which can prevent the mixture from separating.

Nutrition