Families all over the South have special holiday traditions. Within the Hispanic community, making tamales tops the list. Most folks think of these steamed bundles of goodness as strictly savory, usually filled with pork or chicken. But Sylvia Calvano of Hoover, Alabama, recalls her mother’s dessert tamales. “My mom was born and raised in Mexico, so tamales were always an important part of our Christmas celebration,” she says. “I loved the sweeter, fruit-filled versions that she made for our family and to share with the neighborhood.”
