Pelliscos De Tamarindo Acapulqueño Recipes

MEXICAN TAMARIND CANDY

Steps:

• Bring tamarind pulp, water, and orange to a boil in a pot; continue to boil for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
• Pour tamarind mixture into a colander placed over a large bowl. Mash and scrape against the side of the colander until all the juice and pulp drips into the bowl. Dump remaining seeds into a strainer and repeat the process; remove the outer casing around the seeds by hand and toss out the seeds.
• Blend outer casings with juicy pulp in an electric blender.
• Return mixture to the large pot and add sugar, Tajin®, and butter. Bring to a soft boil, stirring constantly. Heat to 240 degrees F (115 degrees C) or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water and placed on a flat surface.
• Remove from heat and let cool, about 2 hours.
• Fill a pastry or plastic sandwich bag with the candy mixture and squeeze onto plastic spoons. Place plastic spoons onto a cookie sheet and chill until firm, about 1 hour. Coat with more Tajin® if desired, wrap with plastic, and close with a twist tie.

PELLISCOS DE TAMARINDO ACAPULQUEñO

Steps:

• Remove the outer hard shell from the tamarind pods and remove the strings that are attached to it. Put the cleaned tamarinds and the water in a medium saucepan. Combine the sugar and citric acid in a small bowl, then add to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, the mixture is thick, and you can see the bottom of the pot when scraped with a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit until cool enough to handle.
• FOR THE SPICY TAMARINDS, combine the sugar, chile powders, and salt and knead into the tamarind mixture as if you were making bread. Roll into golf ball-size balls, then wrap each ball in clear cellophane and store in an airtight container.
• FOR THE SWEET TAMARINDS, combine 3/4 cup of the sugar with the salt and knead into the tamarind mixture as if you were making bread. Roll into golf ball-size balls, roll in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, then wrap each ball in clear cellophane and store in an airtight container.
• Another idea is to peel the tamarinds, leaving them whole, then add to a saucepan with 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Place over medium heat to dissolve the sugar, and simmer until they are just soft, about 12 minutes. Let dry on a wire rack, then roll in sugar and allow to set. It's quick and lovely.