Mincemeat Tamales

 

I had a weird amount of pie crust in the freezer and decided to open up a jar of mincemeat.  Then there was too much in the jar for that and I went looking for other ideas to do with the rest.  Tamales at Christmas are a thing, and so is mincemeat, so what happens if you put it in a tamale?  That's how my mind sometimes works.

Once again, if you're using a pre-made filling, tamales aren't any more labor intensive than any filled cookie, like hamantaschen, linzer, or thumbprint.  Yes, they take time, but a lot of it is passive.  Soak the husks, beat up the masa, assemble, and steam.  Out of 2 to 2-1/2 hours, maybe 20 minutes is active time.

*about 12 dried corn husks
*3/4 C prepared mincemeat filling, or another thick pie/cookie filling
1/4 C unsalted butter
2 Tb brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
*1 C masa harina (corn flour)
3/4 C water
1/4 C orange juice

1.  An hour before starting, place corn husks in a casserole.  Pour boiling water over them and let them sit to hydrate.

2.  In mixer with the paddle, cream together butter and brown sugar.  Add in baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

3.  Stir together water and orange juice.  Alternate masa flour and liquid in two additions.  Beat into a thick batter.  Allow to stand 5 minutes, and it will be easier to handle.

4.  Set up a pot with a steamer basket in it and 1/2" of water at the bottom.  On a work surface, place one of the wet corn husks pointy-side down.

5.  Place about 3 Tb masa batter in the top half of the husk.  Top it with a heaping tablespoon of mincemeat.  Fold in the sides of the husk, then fold the point up.  If necessary, tie with a strip of corn husk.  Place in basket and move on to the next.

6.  When all the masa and filling are used up, cover the pot and move it to the stove.  You might still have a couple of husks left over.  Bring to a low boil.  Check that the lid is on well and place a towel over it.  Make sure the edges of the towel do not dangle too close to the heating element.

7.  Steam for about 75-90 minutes, until the masa is cooked.  Check the water level every 20 minutes or so and add more as necessary.  Remove steamer basket and allow tamales to cool a bit before serving.  They go well with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Makes 8-10

Difficulty rating  :)