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La Piña en la Cocina

Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Home » Tamales » Tamales de Piña ~ Sweet Tamales

Tamales de Piña ~ Sweet Tamales

February 7, 20143 Comments

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Tamales de Piña. Pineapple tamales! Since my trip to Mexico in 2011, I have been even more eager to learn new and authentic Mexican recipes. Many of my family members in Mexico share the same passion for cooking as I do. They were all so gracious and willing to share with me some new recipe ideas!  And along with some new dishes, I have learned some long time traditions, such as celebrating “El Dia de la Candelaria”.  This day represents a fusion of  pre-Hispanic traditions and Catholic beliefs. Many typical Mexican dishes are prepared on February 2nd. One of the most popular to date is sweet tamales.

steamed sweet tamales in the pot

Go with your instincts!

My cousin, Ismael, in particular took it upon himself to continue sharing tasty recipes that are published in the local newspaper “El Norte”. This tamale recipe was adapted from one of their recent publications. The first time I prepared it, I followed it exactly as printed. But, as soon as I tasted the first tamal, I knew something was missing. Water, liquid! There was none listed in the ingredients and with as many tamales that I have prepared in the past 10 years, that should have been a red flag. Second batch, added water and so much better! The tamal is like a sweet corn bread with bits of pineapple.

sweet tamal opened
masa in bowl

Not every masa harina brand will give the same results!

In my experience when using different brands of masa harina, the results will vary. I could use the same measurements using two different brands of masa harina with two different textures. One may be a bit thicker and one may be a bit more loose. I have tested both the thicker and the looser masa to the float test in cold water and have had masa that floats! Both steam up well and taste delicious. In the end it’s up to you if you prefer the masa to have a thicker consistency or if you are ok with it being a little loose. The masa above was looser. The photo below a thicker masa.

Oh! And the thicker masa had just come out of the refrigerator!

Find what works best for you!

Instead of folding in the two sides and then folding the flap down, here is another fun way to finish these tasty pineapple tamales. Place the masa in the center of slick side of hoja(corn husk). Fold in the two sides, then tie the two ends with torn pieces of the extra corn husk.

I only prepare sweet tamales once a year, so I don’t mind the extra steps!

Of course you can just leave the tamal with a simple fold to close them up. It works, but I enjoy creating that classic looking little tamal bundle with the tying of the ends or at the top.

How far can you go when it comes to sweet tamales?

You just have to look at the sweet masa as a vessel that can be combined with many ingredients with delicious results! For years, my followers would ask me to share a pumpkin pie tamal with them and I resisted, lol! Finally two years ago, I did it! It was surprisingly delicious and tasted like a real pumpkin dessert! Of course I did use homemade pumpkin filling from preparing empanadas. The response was very good, but of course there were some who expressed their love for the more traditional and that’s ok too.

This is the sweet pineapple and pecan tamal with warm dulce de leche and pecan halves for garnish. Tasty!

Pink Tamales?

One of the most traditional sweet tamales you will see during the holidays is a sweet tamal that is pink! Typically the masa is mixed with raisins. But, nowadays, most people identify it as a strawberry tamal. Pureed fresh strawberries, along with strawberry extract and red coloring are added to the masa to give them a more strawberry flavor and look. There are so many different recipe variations these days for sweet tamales. Some recipes call for using flavored fruit drink powders or fruit gelatin powders. It kind of makes sense, because the powders add flavor, sweetness and color, but it’s not for everyone. Mom’s sweet tamal was simple masa for tamales with sugar, raisins and coconut mixed in. That’s it!

Tamales Dulces-Sweet Tamales #tamalesdulces
For more information about El Dia de la Candelaria visit http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-life/holidays/diadelacandelariamexico.htm

Tamales de Piña-Sweet Pineapple Tamales

Sweet tamales are just as important as all the savory flavors during holidays and special occasions!
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Course: Antojitos, Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 hours hours 8 minutes minutes
Servings: 20 tamales

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 c unsalted butter or vegetable shortening or a combination of the two. I mix half and half. at room temp.
  • 1/2 cup sugar, start with that, then taste for sugar as you mix
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 tsp of salt
  • 3 cups masa harina, corn flour for tamales
  • 2 c water, room temperature or pineapple juice from a can
  • 2 tsps pineapple extract or vanilla, optional
  • 1/3 cup pineapple, apricot or orange preserves, optional
  • 3 cups pineapple, diced I use fresh, but you can use canned pineapple
  • 15 to 20 corn husk

For Other Variations You Can Mix In

  • 1/3 cup finely crushed pecans
  • 1/2 c shredded coconut
  • 1/2 c Raisins
  • 1 cup of cajeta or dulce de leche for garnish slightly warmed

Instructions

Directions

  • Ahead of time, soak 20 corn husk in really hot water, set aside. They should soak for at least an hour.
  • In the stand mixer, whip together the butter and shortening until fluffy. Mix in the sugar. baking powder and salt. Gradually mix in the masa harina. Then gradually mix in the water or juice. Once incorporated really well, mix on med/high speed for 7-8 minutes or until masa looks light and fluffy.
  • Fold in the preserves and diced pineapple. If adding in the pecans, coconut or raisins, add them now. Or leave as is for pineapple only tamal.
  • Shake off excess water from corn husk and fill them with about 3-4 tablespoons of pineapple masa filling down the center. fold in the sides, then fold down the flap. Fill steamer pot with water to the rim at the bottom. Add steamer insert. Place a few extra corn husk to the bottom of steamer pot, Arrange tamales standing up, with the open side up. Cover tamales with extra corn husk and a clean kitchen towel. Cover with lid.
  • Place steamer pot on high heat, to start. After about 10-15 minutes when it begins to steam rapidly, lower heat to below medium. Set timer for 45 minutes. Check one tamal after that time. Let it cool for a few minutes before attempting to open. If the husk peels away easily, then the tamales are done. If not, steam for another 15 minutes. Let them sit off the heat for 25 minutes more.

Keep a tea kettle or pot of warm water on low in case you need to add more water to the steamer.

    Notes

    Tips~ If using a pot that doesn’t hold as much water, set your timer for 30 minutes and add a little more hot water to ensure it will not run out. Start heat on high, then reduce to medium. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
    When preparing the sweet masa for tamales, you can replace the water with evaporated milk. But, not if you are adding fresh pineapple. In my experience, the milk and fresh pineapple combined, tends to leave a slight bitter taste to cooked tamales.
    Why use shortening at all? The reason why I use half shortening in my recipe is because the butter contains water. The water in there will evaporate and that doesn’t happen with the shortening. In other words, less moisture left in the tamal once steamed. To solve that issue, look for foreign brands in your market that do not contain water for better results!
    Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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    Filed Under: Tamales, Traditional Mexican Recipes Tagged With: Piña, Pineapple Tamal, Sweet Tamales, Tamal de Piña, Tamales, Tamales Dulces

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karla Narvaez-Zamora

      November 18, 2020 at 12:22 pm

      For the pineapple tamales, do you incorporate the preserves into the dough? Is it better to use natural or canned pineapple chunks?

      Reply
      • Sonia

        November 18, 2020 at 12:46 pm

        I prefer to use fresh pineapple, as long as it’s ripe, I do add the preserves into the masa.

        Reply

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    1. How to Make Cajeta (Mexican Caramel Sauce) - Mexican Made Meatless™ says:
      July 15, 2019 at 3:46 am

      […] cream • you can make a milkshake with it • use it as a cookie or empanada filling • use it on tamales, • add a tablespoon to your coffee • drizzle over waffles and pancakes • stir into rice […]

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    Welcome!

    Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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