From “Tamales” by Daniel Hoyer. Makes enough for about 30-40 dessert or breakfast tamales.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups butter or vegetable shortening or a combination of the two
1/4 to 1/2cup sugar, brown sugar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups Masa for Tamales (see recipe at left)
1 to 1 1/2cups cool water
Directions
Using a stand or hand-held mixer or doing it by hand, whip the fat until it is fluffy, about 1 minute or so; add the sugar and beat 1 minute more.
Add the salt and continue beating while adding the masa in 2-ounce pieces (about 1 inch) and waiting a few seconds between each addition while continuing to mix.
When about half the masa is mixed in well, start alternating the masa with the water until all of the masa is used along with about 1 1/2 cups of water.
Test by dropping 1/2 teaspoon masa into a cup of cold water. If it doesn’t float, simply whip it for a few more minutes with added water and test again.
Proceed to fill and wrap the tamales as directed in the recipe.
