homemade tamales for cinco de mayo! ♥

 Cinco de Mayo is coming up..here is a great way to make your own tamales... ♥

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 6 ears of corn (app 6 cups kernels)
• 2 cups harina de maiz
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 oz unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 egg

Filling Ingredients: options....

Cooked Chicken Breasts (Shredded)

Jalapeños (diced)

Serrano chili peppers (diced)

Mexican cheeses (shredded)

Diced green chilies

Fresh Cilantro

Begin the recipe by deconstructing the ears of corn. If you are not able to find packaged corn husks in the grocery store or you want to use the actual corn husk to construct the tamales, carefully remove the husks from the corn ears and reserve. If not, just rip those puppies off and get to the kernels!

Next, begin removing the kernels from the ears of corn. Use a sharp knife and they should slice right off the cob. Reserve the cobs for a cool little trick...

Next, add the corn kernels to a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy.

Next, begin soaking the corn husks so they’ll be ready to fill. A little 10 minute bath should do the trick!

While the husks are soaking prepare the corn masa mixture.

Using an electric hand mixer, blend together the harina de maize, water, sugar, salt, baking powder, egg and butter in a large mixing bowl.


Next, hand mix in the blended corn kernels.

Start with a large pot (I used my dutch oven) and if you are like me and you don’t have a steam basket that fits, use the trick of lining the bottom of the pot with corn ears.

Next, fill the bottom of the pot with about 1-2 inches of water, then place a small steam basket on top of the cobs to make sure that the tamales do not touch the water.

Turn the stove on and bring the water to a boil. Now all that’s left to do is put these tamales together!
I constructed a tamale making station on my counter top with my accouterment of different filling ingredients.

Start assembling the tamales by opening a corn husk and filling with the sweet corn mixture, then add some of those “optionally awesome fillings”. I got some shredded chicken and diced green chilies, Yum!
Then, fold one side of the tamale over the mixture.

then the other side,

Then fold the other two sides over the middle…

Now it’s time to do a little gift wrapping of deliciousness!

After all of the tamales are assembled, place them standing up in the steamer basket or atop the corn ears, just make sure they do not touch the boiling water.

Now cover and allow to steam for 45 minutes. Remove one tamale from the steamer after 45 minutes, if the filling is firm and pulls away easily from the husk then they are ready to be gobbled up! If not, steam for an additional 10-15 minutes. Be sure to check the water level every 10-15 minutes and re-fill if necessary.

Buen apetito amigos!

happy cinco de mayo!

xo xo  ♥ Kira !