Masa Preparada - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 lbs masa harina flour, preparada
1 3/4 cups water
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb lard
1 package corn husk

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients except the lard in one mixing bowl.
Whip the lard separately in another bowl till fluffy.
Combine the two, mixing thoroughly until a small quantity of the masa floats when placed in a cup of water.
(Prepare pot for steaming with rocks or foil balls on the bottom and a layer of husks.) Soak the corn husks in water for a couple of hours.
Separate the husks into wide enough sheaves to wrap a tamale.
Spread the masa out on the husk with the back of a spoon to a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch (cover the husk) over appoximately 1/3 of the husk.
(Leave some room on the bottom to wrap up.) Insert filling in the center, wrap, fold the bottom, stand in pot and steam for two hours.