RICK BAYLESS'S CHOCOLATE TAMALE

RICK BAYLESS'S CHOCOLATE TAMALE image

Yield 24 Tamales

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

1 8-ounce package dried corn husks
9 ounces Mexican chocolate (1 1/2 cups pulverized)
10 ounces (1 1/3 cups) unsalted butter slightly softened but not at all runny
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 pounds (about 4 cups) fresh coarse-ground corn masa for tamales
OR 3 1/2 cups dried masa harina for tamales mixed with 2 1/4 cups hot water
1 cup milk or water
2/3 cup coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate (optional)
For serving, optional:
Assorted fresh berries, custard sauce, mint sprigs

Steps:

Cover husks with hot water and keep them submerged for a few hours until husks are pliable. Use 24 husks-at least 6" across on the wide end and 6-7". long. Pat dry. Grind chocolate. Makes approx 1 ½ cups ground. Mix butter, chocolate, sugar, salt and baking powder on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Keep beating as you add masa in three additions. Reduce speed to medium-low, add milk or water. Beat until a 1/2-teaspoon of batter floats cold water, about 1 minute. Batter should hold its shape in a spoon. Refrigerate batter for an hour or so, then rebeat, adding additional milk or water to bring batter to the soft consistency it had before. Line rack of the steamer with leftover corn husks to protect tamales from direct contact with the steam. Leave tiny spaces between husks so condensing steam can drain off. Cut 24- 10" pieces of string. Lay out a corn husk with the skinnier end toward you. Spread 1/4 cup of batter into a 4" square, leaving at least a 1 ½" border on the side toward you and a ¾" border along the other sides (with large husks, the borders will be much bigger). Pick up 2 long sides of corn husk and bring together. If uncovered borders of the 2 long sides you're holding are narrow, tuck one side under the other; if wide, then roll both sides in the same direction around the tamale. Fold up the empty 1 ½" section of the husk (to form a tightly closed "bottom," leaving the top open). Loosely tie string around tamale. Place tamales on their folded bottoms in the prepared steamer. Don't tie tamales too tight or pack them too close in the steamer. Steam tamales in batches. Cover tamales with a layer of corn husks. Cover and steam over medium heat for about 1 1/4 hours. Watch carefully that water doesn't boil away. Tamales are done when husk peels away from the masa easily. Let tamales stand in steamer off the heat for a few minutes to firm up. Cool completely. Re-steam 15 minutes to heat through.