Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1 lb Banana leaves (thawed if
Frozen)
For the corn dough:
1 Recipe Basic Tamale Dough
2 c Cooked or canned pureed
Pumpkin or winter squash
(drain slightly if
Watery)
1 1/2 ts Ground true Ceylon cinnamon,
Preferably freshly ground in
Spice grinder,
Or1/2 teaspoon ground U.S.
Cinnamon
3 oz Piloncillo, grated or
Crushed, or 1/2 cup firmly
Packed dark brown
Sugar
1 ts Salt, or to taste
For the bean filling:
2 ts Aniseed
2 c Water
2 To 2 1/2 cups cooked or
Drained canned black beans
2 To 3 canned Chipolte chiles
5 To 6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tb Lard
Salt, to taste

Unfold the banana leaves, being careful not to split them
unnecessarily. Wipe them with a clean damp cloth. With kitchen
scissors, trim the leaves into 12 to 14 rectangles about 14 by 11
inches. Save some of the longer trimmings. Pat dry and set aside.

Place the dough in a large bowl and add the pumpkin, Ceylon cinnamon
and grated sugar cane or brown sugar and salt, and beat with an
electric mixer on medium speed until very light and fluffy, stopping
to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. The mixture,
should be as light as buttercream. Make an anise infusion by boiling
the aniseed in the water until reduced by half. Strain and reserve.
Working in batches if necessary, puree the beans in a blender or food
processor fitted with a steel blade together with the chiles, garlic
and anise tea.

Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or wide, shallow
saucepan over high heat. When very hot, add the bean puree, watching
out for splatters. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered,
stirring to prevent sticking, until the liquid is evaporated. Season
with salt. Cool to room temperature.

To fill the tamales, place 1 or 2 banana-leaf rectangles at a time
flat on the counter. Tear off some long, thin strips from the
reserved banana-leaf trimmings to use as ties. Place a big handful
(2/3 to 1 cup) of the Masa (corn mixture) in the center of the leaf.
With a spatula or your fingers, spread it into an oval about 4 by 3
inches and 1/2-inch thick. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the
bean filling in the center of the oval.

Fold the right and left edges of the banana leaf toward the center to
meet, overlapping a little to cover the filling, then fold the top
and bottom edges toward the center to make a neat, flat package about
4 by 5 inches. Fasten by tieing with a thin strip of banana leaf.

Place the tamales flat in the steamer, seam side up, arranging them in
layers as necessary. Place some extra banana leaves on top to help
absorb steam. Steam 1 hour over boiling water, replenishing with hot
water as necessary.

Yield: 12 to 14 tamales

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