Soak the corn husks for 15-20 minutes by placing them into a large bowl and covering them with warm water.
Place the raisins in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 10 minutes then discard the water and set aside.
Make the masa
Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix until creamy and fluffy.
Add masa harina, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Pour in pineapple juice and knead with your hands or with an electric hook, until you achieve a dough that sticks slightly to your hands.
Add some drops of yellow food coloring (optional) and mix until you achieve a uniform color.
Add chopped pecans, raisins and chopped pineapple. Mix with a spatula until combined.
Assemble
Drain the corn husks and dry them with a kitchen towel.
Spread a spoonful of the tamales dough onto the middle of a corn husk using a large spoon or spatula.
Fold the husk to close, then fold up the pointy edge (see video).
Steam
Prepare a large stock pot with a steamer basket. Fill the pot with water just before it touches the basket and arrange the pineapple tamales in layers.
Steam for about 1 hour, checking occasionally and adding more water when needed.
Notes
If you can’t find corn husks, use aluminum foil or parchment paper instead. Cut sheets of about 8×6 inches (20x15cm) to use them as wrappers.
Fresh pineapple can be used instead of canned, but you’ll need to dice it and cook it with 1 cup of water and 2-2 tablespoons of sugar.
Many people (especially children) don’t like raisins, so feel free to leave them out if you’re one of those :)
To check if the tamales are cooked, remove one and place it on a plate, allow it to lightly cool down, and then taste it. The dough should be soft but slightly firm at the touch, not mushy that will spread when you take it with your fingers.