Sweet Pineapple Tamales

For as long as I can remember every Christmas season my family and I make tamales. We make a variety of tamales; spicy red and green chili chicken, sweet chocolate, and my favorite sweet pineapple tamales. The process of making any kind of tamale is extremely time consuming. However, the delicious sweet taste full of happy memories is worth every minute. When people first hear about sweet pineapple tamales their first impression is usually “that sounds gross.” Unless you are Hispanic the whole idea of a pineapple tamale wouldn’t seem very appetizing.  It’s not until you actually eat one that you will appreciate the unique tasty flavors. The main ingredient for every tamale is masa, which is ground corn. The other ingredients that you mix into the masa are canella, crushed pineapple, sugar, and raisins. Canella is a cinnamon flavored Mexican tea.  All these products can be purchased at any Mexican market. Since I hate raisins, after the masa absorbs the flavor I take them out. Most Hispanics make tamales during Christmas time because they are wrapped up like a present and you have to open them up to eat them. The corn husk is the foundation that holds the masa together until it is done cooking. The first step is to boil the sticks in water. The next step is to add the remaining ingredients. Now you will need a large bowl and clean hands because it is going to get messy. Put all the masa in the bowl and pour the canella mixture in. Mix the masa continuously until you feel it is thoroughly mixed  together. Now that your masa is ready, soak the corn husks in hot water. When the corn husks are soft take the corn husk and feel both sides. One side will be rough and the other smooth. You must put the masa on the smooth side or else it will stick to the corn husk. One large spoonful of masa per corn husk is the perfect amount for a tamale. The very last part is wrapping it all up and putting it in a steaming pot to cook. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas if I didn’t get to open my favorite present and smell the warm, sweet aroma of a pineapple tamale.