Pumpkin And Chanterelle Tamales

FILLING: Peel and seed pumpkin and chop into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast on baking sheet at 400 degrees until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Clean mushrooms with damp cloth and slice. Set aside. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and cook until leeks are soft, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put in bowl and set aside. Heat 2 more teaspoons olive oil over high heat in same skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add white wine and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has cooked away. Season to taste with salt. Return roasted pumpkin and leeks to skillet and cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to combine. Stir in chipotle puree and taste for seasoning. Filling will taste less spicy after steaming in tamale. Cool to room temperature. MASA: Stir hot water into masa harina and mix to form dough. Cool. Using electric mixer, beat butter and baking powder until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add masa harina about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well between additions. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl several times. Continue to beat, slowly adding milk and salt. Beat well until combined, about 15 minutes. Chill at least 1 hour. FILLING AND STEAMING: Soak corn husks in pot of boiling water until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes, or overnight in cool water. Use large husks to wrap tamales and save smaller husks to tear into strips for tying ends of tamales and for lining bottom of steamer. Pat corn husk dry and place on work surface with narrow end at bottom. Place generous 1/4 cup Masa in center of husk and spread into 4-inch square, making sure to leave border around masa, with widest border at bottom. Place heaping tablespoon of Filling in strip down center of square of masa. Fold husk in half lengthwise, bringing 2 long edges together and enclosing filling. Roll edges of husk in same direction around masa. Fold up bottom narrow part of husk to close opening and tie strip of husk around tamale to hold folded flap. Top end will remain open. Tamales can be steamed in rice cooker or in stockpot with steaming rack set inside. Make sure enough water is in pot or steamer to provide continuous steam for 1 hour. Have some simmering water on hand in case you need to add more water to steamer. Line steaming rack with extra corn husks. Stand tamales upright on folded ends on rack. Use extra husks or loosely crumpled foil to fill in any spaces so tamales stay upright. Lay few more husks over top of tamales. Cover and steam over medium heat, about 1 hour. Let tamales stand few minutes to cool before serving. Arrange on platter to serve. Yields 24 servings. Each serving: 122 calories; 334 mg sodium; 22 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.75 gram fiber Recipe Source: Los Angeles Times - 11-22-1998 Formatted for Mastercook by Lynn Thomas - dcqp82a@prodigy.com