Homemade pineapple atole

Part of me really did think that since I made pineapple atole before in cooking class, I’d be a whiz on it the second time around.

That wasn’t the case. In my own kitchen, without my classmates looking over my shoulder, I didn’t dissolve my masa very well. I ended up with little hard bits that I had to strain out. I also wasn’t sure how much masa to add, since I’d downsized the original recipe. (My pot held 2 liters of water, instead of the 3 we used in class.) I put in 170 grams of masa and hoped for the best.

But do you know what I learned? Atole is very forgiving. It really doesn’t matter how much masa you put in it, or how much fruit. As long as you dissolve and blend things correctly, it’s all to your own taste.

My own result, at the end of 40 minutes of careful cooking and tasting, was a thick, sweet drink that was just as good as the one I’d made in cooking class. And it tasted much more pineappley, since I’d added in an entire 4-lb. fruit.

Unfortunately all I had to serve it with were freezer-burned tamales. Oh well.

Recipe below.

Pineapple Atole
Makes about 2 liters

A few notes: I know it’s hard to get fresh masa outside Mexico, so you can use Maseca in this if you’d like. I’ve seen recipes that call for about 1/2 cup of Maseca mixed with anything from 2 cups to 5 cups of water. It just depends on how thick you want it. (Atoles sold in Mexico aren’t thick enough to be eaten with a spoon — they’re slightly thickened drinks.) Just make sure you dissolve the Maseca in water first.

If you don’t have fresh pineapple, canned is ok. Or you can really make this with any fresh fruit you want — strawberry, melon, peaches. If the fruit isn’t extremely juicy on its own, you’ll want to blend it with a little bit of water and then strain out the seeds/fibrous bits. You can almost think of this like a warm smoothie, but without the yogurt.

Some people like to make their atoles with milk instead of water. You can do whatever feels right.

Ingredients

1 4-lb. pineapple
1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches long
2 liters water
170 grams fresh tortilla masa, or about 3/4 cup* (see note)
sugar to taste

Directions

Peel and core pineapple, and cut one-quarter of it into small cubes. (I had about two cups worth.) Cut the remaining pineapple into chunks and place in a blender. Blend until smooth, and strain into a large bowl. Reserve and set aside.

Heat the water to boil with the cinnamon stick. While it heats, place the masa in a smaller bowl and pour a little water on top. Work the masa into a paste with your fingers, adding more water as necessary. You want to make sure you’ve got as smooth of a paste as possible — any pebbly bits that remain won’t dissolve in your atole.

Once the water/cinnamon mixture boils, pour in your masa and stir vigorously until well combined and dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. Wait for this mixture to boil, and then add the pineapple juice and stir again. Let boil once more and then add pineapple cubes. Taste for sugar and add, if necessary. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer, so bubbles are just breaking the surface. Cook until the atole no longer tastes like raw masa, about 40 minutes. (Note: If you’re using Maseca, you don’t need to cook as long; other recipes I’ve seen recommend 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the quantity you’re making.)

To serve, remove cinnamon stick and pour into mugs. It’s traditional to drink atole with tamales.