Unwrap This: Rice Pudding Tamales

With a drizzle of homemade cajeta and lo-fi navidad tunes

I’ve got your perfect X-MAS breakfast.

I don’t mean for these babies to steal the show, but these tamales involve custardy coconut arroz con leche (Mexican rice pudding), tender sweet masa, and sweet and buttery cajeta/dulce de leche/caramel sauce.

The rice pudding has a heavy dose of coconut milk because you know me: I love a nutty, mellow tropical note. I can’t help it!

If you have access to a local molino such as Komal in L.A. that is your best place to get your single-origin masa from 100% nixtamal. I also love the masa fina at Northgate González Markets, but no matter where you get your masa, make sure it is masa fina para tortillas. This is masa made with nixtamalized corn at its tightest grind that yields a smooth and dense texture. It has nothing else added, unlike masa preparada —which comes seasoned and whipped with lard— so stick to masa fina for this recipe, sometimes also called masa para tortillas.

You can pick up a jar of store-bought caramel sauce, or the beloved Mexican brand of cajeta Coronado, but you can also make your own while the tamales are in the works.

All homemade cajeta asks of you is occasional whisking. You will be rewarded with the perfect level of sweetness, lots of vanilla, and the addition of one secret ingredient that guarantees your cajeta will be top drizzle texture.

I make mine with goat’s milk, which I conveniently source at Trader Joe’s. I’m here to assure you that any funk you may associate with goat’s milk, it is magically transformed into a subtle, nutty flavor. But you can always sub it for whole milk for a dulce de leche vibe.

I’ll be taking a short holiday break but I’ll see you in the new year with a full spread of recipes on Fresca and BIG NEWS to share with all subscribers before the world knows. MIL GRACIAS to each of you for supporting my work and the work of all independent writers.