Dessert Tamales – Oaxaca

1 cup unseasoned cooked pinto beans (mashed)
1 cup unflavored cooked rice
1 cup sugar (or more to taste)
1/2 cup grated Mexican chocolate
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
1/4 cup finely chopped Mexican candied cactus
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1 tablespoon vanilla
inexpensive cream Sherry

Mix all ingredients together using just enough Sherry to form it into a paste. Refrigerate over night before using.

To make dessert tamales, mix your Maza Harina with water instead of stock, broth or bouillon and add just a bit of sugar.

There is a type of dessert tamale made in Mexico that are sold at festivals and fiestas and are primarily designed for children. These contain no filling. They are made from sweetened Maza Harina. The Maza dough is then cut into there equal parts. Using food coloring, one part is colored green and one part is colored red and one part is left white. The three colors are then rolled into snakes about as thick as your thumb. The snakes are cut into 2 inch lengths and stacked on top of each other, one red, one white and one green, then slightly flattened. These are then wrapped in the corn husks and steamed. The colors represent the Mexican flag and are a favorite with children at festivals and fiestas. Often small tin toys are wrapped up in them as well.