Sweet Corn Tamale Dough

so, back at the state fair i had the pleasure of eating a la loma tamale, and one of the things that made this tamale extra special (besides being vegan), was the fluffy, slightly sweet, corn studded dough that encased the teeny roasted veggies. it was unlike any other tamale i had ever had before, and it left me craving more. so flash forward to last week, i’m running on a treadmill watching the food network, and a new mexican food show comes on. and they’re making tamales. i’m intrigued, i watch on and  i saw it-the host was pureeing corn and folding it into her batter! but, her tamales were more like cachapas; a high liquid to flour ratio made her tamales un-stuffable, and flat, more like a little corn cake, or dumpling. but i figured, if i can take my dense tamale dough, and pump it up with frozen corn, and add a little extra fat, maybe, just maybe, i could re-create those little la loma gems i love so much. i came close.

Fluffy, Sweet Corn Tamale Dough

makes about 8 dinner sized tamales

2 cups fresh, or thawed frozen corn

1 1/2 c Masa Harina- try Maseca

1 tbs sugar

3/4 baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/3 c corn oil- unrefined will have a more pronounced corn flavor

8-10 large dried corn husks-available at any mexican grocer

get a steamer basket at the ready and place the husks in a sink of hot water to soften. place the corn kernels in a food processor and pulse into small pieces, but not smooth. place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl or your electric mixer. add the corn, mixing well, and then slowly mix in the oil. now stream in the vegetable stock and beat the dough until light, fluffy, and spread-able. you may not use all of the stock, but i did. heres my first tamale post if you need help with the hands on stuff. fill the tamales with your desired filling, we used some sauteed onion, garlic, pepper, peas and carrot-or go naked! steam for about 45-60 minutes and serve with some spanish rice, a green, and some hot sauce!

sweet corn tamales