Tamal_zarza3I wanted to prepare blackberry tamales for a very long time. It is a rare recipe because some said that it is atole, and others said that it is a tamal.  Atole is a thick drink and tamal is a dish made of corn. I guess if you take it immediately after cooking, it can be atole, but if you leave it for a few minutes it will start to settle and to obtained a consistency like a jelly. 

Tamal_zarza5For the original blackberries tamales, you have to put the dough in dried corn husks, as in all the traditional tamales. But this time I had blackberry and masa fresca (fresh dough), but I could not get any corn husks. Nowadays, shops and markets are full with Christmas food and it’s quite difficult to find something else. So I came up with an idea, pour the mixture into a rectangular glass  container and when set, cut into small rectangles, like jelly. Tamal_zarza_4I know it doesn’t have the best appearance, but its flavor is delicious. It has a gelatinous consistency and it is eaten cold. My mom makes a similar version where instead of masa fresca, she puts cornstarch, but is not as firm as this version. The blackberry tamales are very typical of the region of Michoacán.

Tamal_zarza6Masa fresca is the dough used to make fresh tortillas. I buy it in a tortillería (the place where tortillas are sold) , but if you can’t find it you can use a cup of corn masa mixed with half cup of hot water, until you get a dough. In the photo you can find the most important ingredients for this recipe: masa fresca, piloncillo and blackberries. 

Tamal_zarza1I hope you try out this delicious recipe, so you can enjoy a traditional dish from Michoacán.

 

Tamales de zarza (Blackberry tamales)
Serves 12
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 5 cups water
  2. 85 gr (3 oz) piloncillo (dark brown sugar)
  3. 110 gr (3.5 oz) sugar
  4. 1 stick cinnamon
  5. 1 cup (280 gr) masa fresca
  6. 215 gr (7.6 oz) fresh blackberries
Instructions
  1. Wash and disinfect the blackberries.
  2. In a heavy skillet pot, bring to a boil water, piloncillo, sugar and cinnamon. Move constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Using a strainer, add the masa fresca so you can desintegrate as much as possible. Whisk so it dissolves completely.
  3. In a food processor, pulse the blackberries.
  4. Add the blackberries to the masa mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes. You don’t want to cook it for long, otherwise you will lose the characteristic purple color of the blackberries.
  5. Pour into a square baking dish and, when cooled, refrigerate. To serve, cut into slices and served cold.
Adapted from My Sweet Mexico
Adapted from My Sweet Mexico
Sweet Cannela https://www.sweetcannela.com/

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