Best Chocolate Tamales Recipes

SWEET COCONUT TAMALES WITH CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS

Steps:

• Soak the corn husks in simmering water for 20 minutes. They should be soft and flexible, and turn a deep beige color. Wrap the corn husks in a damp paper towel until you are ready to use them.
• Combine the masa harina with the whole milk and the coconut milk and mix well. The masa should have the consistency of a stiff dough. Set aside.
• Combine the shortening and sugar in a mixing bowl. Using a hand-held or standing electric mixer, beat the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add a quarter of the masa to the shortening mixture and beat until well blended. Add a second quarter of the masa to the mixture and beat until well incorporated. Continue until all the masa is blended. Keep beating for another 5 minutes in order for the dough to achieve the right texture and consistency. You will know you have reached the right texture if a teaspoon of the dough floats in a cup of cold water. If after 15 minutes of constant beating your dough does not float, move on (despite it not floating, the dough will be fine).
• Add 2/3 cup of the toasted coconut flakes to the dough along with the baking powder, cinnamon, and the salt and beat lightly until fully incorporated.
• Place a corn husk lengthwise in front of you with the wide side closest to you. Spread 1/4 cup of the dough all over the bottom half of the corn husk, leaving about a 1-inch-wide border on the left and right side. (See page 51 for photographs showing how to assemble tamales.)
• Pick up the two long sides of the corn husk and unite them, forming a solid log. Roll both sides of the corn husks in the same direction over the tamal. Fold down the empty top section of the corn husk and secure it by tying a thin strip of corn husk around the tamal.
• Repeat this process until all of the corn husks or tamal dough is used up.
• Create a tamal steamer by crumbling a large piece of aluminum foil into a large ball and place the ball in the center of a large saucepan. Arrange the tamales "standing up" around it. You can stand tamales in front of each other, just make sure that the open end of each tamal is facing upward.
• Pour in 1/2 inch of water. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the Mexican crema with the cream of coconut. (You can easily make more by combining equal amounts of each ingredient.)
• Serve the tamales warm. After opening a tamal, top with a sprinkling of shaved chocolate and some of the remaining toasted coconut flakes and drizzle with a bit of coconut cream, or let guests garnish their own. Serve extra toppings on the side.
• INGREDIENTS
• Masa Harina
• The flour used in tamal making is a special cornmeal that has been treated with lime and as such produces the characteristic aroma, flavor, and texture that is associated with tamales. Regular cornmeal cannot be substituted.
• Cream of Coconut
• Do not confuse cream of coconut with coconut milk. Cream of coconut is much sweeter and thicker than the milk. (It is one of the key ingredients in piña coladas.)
• TECHNIQUES
• Toasting Coconut Flakes
• Sprinkle the coconut flakes in single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 300°F oven. Allow to bake for about 8 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Be on the lookout because coconut tends to burn rather quickly. However, it will send out a warning signal with the toasted coconut aroma. So as soon as you smell coconut, check on it.
• Shaving Dark Chocolate
• This is easily done with a bar of chocolate and a vegetable peeler. Hold the bar of chocolate with one hand (you may want to keep part of it in its wrapper so that the chocolate doesn't melt in your hands) and peel off chocolate shavings with the peeler.
• ADVANCE PREPARATION
• Reheating Tamales
• Cooked tamales can be refrigerated for a couple of days and reheated in a steamer or in the microwave. If using the microwave, place the tamales in a bowl and pour in 1/4 inch of water. Seal with plastic wrap and heat for 2 minutes. The steam created within the plastic will reheat the tamales. If reheating in a steamer, recreate the tamal steamer explained in the recipe and steam for 5 minutes.
• Assembled but uncooked tamales can also be frozen. When ready to use, steam them straight from the freezer for 1 hour 20 minutes (twice the cooking time). Do not defrost before cooking.

CINNAMON-SPICED CHOCOLATE TAMALES

Steps:

• Soak corn husks in hot water 30 min.; drain.
• Spread 2 Tbsp. tamale dough into 3x2-inch rectangle down center of each husk, leaving about 2-inch uncovered space at top of husk.
• Spoon 1 Tbsp. chocolate and 1 tsp. coconut down center of each husk; fold over sides, then both ends of husk to enclose filling.
• Steam in a tamalera 1 hour or until done, adding water when needed. (Tamales are cooked when they pull away from husks.) Cool slightly.

CHOCOLATE TAMALES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place chocolate in medium bowl. In small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk to a simmer, just short of boiling. Pour hot milk over chocolate and stir until chocolate melts. Set aside to cool.
• Mix masa harina and baking powder in large bowl of heavy duty electric mixer. With mixer on low, pour chocolate over corn flour mixture. Beat on low for 10 minutes. Set aside.
• In separate bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add a third of chocolate-corn flour mixture and beat on high until combined. Repeat twice with remaining thirds of chocolate-corn flour mixture; beating well after each addition. Finished mixture should be light and fluffy.
• Spread heaping tablespoon of dough in center of corn husk. Sprinkle 6 or 7 white chocolate chips on dough, then spread another tablespoon of dough over filling. Fold sides of corn husk over filling. With seam facing up, tuck top and bottom flaps under tamale and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and chocolate.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 35 minutes or until tamales are firm.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER "TAMALES" WITH CANELA CREMA

Steps:

• "TAMALES":.
• Combine the peanut butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until well-mixed (either by hand or electric mixer). Divide the mixture into 4 equal pieces, then roll each piece into a flat 2" log. Cover and chill these for 15 minutes.
• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
• Lay out the cornhusks, smooth side up. Spoon a generous tablespoon of melted chocolate on a husk and spread it out into a rectangle in the center of the husk. Top chocolate with one log of peanut butter. Fold the husk in on both sides, then turn seam side down on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the husks.
• Chill tamales on a plate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• CREMA:.
• While the tamales are chilling, prepare the crema.
• Whisk yolks and sugar together until well blended. Meanwhile, gently heat the cream, half of the cinnamon, and the vanilla bean in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour half of the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly as you pour (this tempers the yolks). Pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the cream over low heat. Stir this continuously and cook until it becomes thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• To serve, unwrap the chilled "tamales". You can either place tamale in a puddle of crema on the plate, or you can drizzle crema over the tamale in the opened husk. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon.

CINNAMON-SPICED CHOCOLATE TAMALES

Steps:

• SOAK corn husks in hot water 30 min.; drain.
• ASSEMBLE tamales by spreading 2 Tbsp. tamale dough into 3x2-inch rectangle down center of each husk, leaving about 2 inches at top of husk. Spoon 1 Tbsp. chocolate chunks and 1 tsp. coconut down center of each; fold over sides and both ends of husk to enclose filling.
• STEAM in a tamalera 1 hour or until done, adding water when needed. (Tamales are cooked when they pull away from husks.) Cool slightly.