Birthday Cookie Stuffed Conchas
Ready in 5-6 hours
Yields 12 conchas
Ingredients
Concha Dough:
525 g. all-purpose flour (3 ½ - 4 c.)
150 g. sugar (¾ c.)
30 g. milk powder (optional, 3 TB)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbs. mexican vanilla
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 ¼ tsp. active dry yeast
8 oz. whole milk, lukewarm (1 c.)
good ‘ol squeeze of honey (for the milk)
2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk
113 g. unsalted butter (½ c.)
Concha Topping:
200 g. powdered sugar (1 ½ c.)
200 g. all-purpose flour (1 ½ c.)
200 g. shortening (or butter, softened) (1 c.)
1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
Rainbow Sprinkles (Jimmies, about ½ cup)
Birthday Cookie Dough Filling:
113 g, butter, softened (½ c.)
75 g. Sugar (⅓ c.)
25 g. Light brown sugar (2 TB.)
½ tsp. Clear vanilla extract
½ tsp. Pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. Kosher salt
1 egg yolk
150 g. All purpose flour (1 c.)
½ tsp. Baking soda
Rainbow sprinkles (¼ c.)
*Mexican vanilla or any other vanilla can substitute for clear vanilla
Preparation
The Concha Dough
Heat your whole milk until just warm (100-110 F). If microwaving, heat cold milk for about 45 seconds. If it’s too hot, wait until it’s cooled down until it’s just warm to the touch.
Add a teaspoon of honey (or sugar) to your warm milk and stir. Add your yeast and whisk until just combined.
Allow to proof for about 10 minutes until foamy. If the mixture does not foam, your yeast is either bad, or was killed due to the milk being too hot.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine your all-purpose flour, sugars, salt, milk powder (if using), and cinnamon.
Whisk the ingredients together.
Using your hand, create a well at the center of your flour mixture.
To the well, add your warm milk and yeast mixture, your eggs and egg yolk, vanilla extract and softened butter.
Using a rubber spatula, combine the ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms, or a “sponge”. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the bowl to get all the flour incorporated.
Set the sponge aside. Cover with a tea towel, and allow to rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
After 1 hour has passed, attach your bowl to your stand mixer, and begin kneading your sponge with the hook attachment on medium speed.
Your dough can take anywhere from 25-35 minutes to come together. If mixing by hand, sometimes 40 minutes. Hang in there! Oil your hands and surface, and set aside ¼ c. of flour to add if mixing by hand.
You’ll know your dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and it is soft and elastic. Your dough should pass the windowpane test.
Place your dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled. It should take about 1.5-2 hours.
The Birthday Cookie Dough
To a small bowl, add the softened butter, both sugars and vanilla extracts and salt. Combine with a rubber spatula until smooth and homogeneous.
Add the egg yolk and combine into the butter mixture until smooth.
Next, sift the all purpose flour and baking soda into the butter-sugar mixture and combine with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon just until a soft dough forms.
Add the rainbow sprinkles, and mix until just incorporated.
Cover the dough with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.
The Topping
To prepare your concha topping, add the flour, shortening or butter, and powdered sugar to a bowl. Mix well with either your clean hands or a rubber spatula. Add in the vanilla extract gradually while mixing, and continue to combine until a soft cookie dough consistency is achieved.
If using food color, separate out your concha topping dough and incorporate whatever colors you like. Massage each piece between your hands after adding the food coloring to ensure it's evenly distributed.
Wrap in plastic and set aside.
Assembling and Baking
Forming and Filling the Dough
After your dough has risen, give it a good punch to knock out any air.
Release your dough onto a clean surface or baking mat, and separate into 12 equal pieces.
Roll each dough ball using your hand. You can roll the dough gently over the surface of your workspace, placing your hand gently over the dough piece and rotating the dough using your palm. Your hand should look like a claw hovering over your piece of dough, creating gentle but quick circular motions. Use the surface tension of your workspace to create a tight ball.
After you’ve rolled each piece of dough, place 6 dough balls on a parchment or silpat lined baking pan.
Take each piece of dough, and pull the underside apart to create a round crevice. Into each crevice, place a tablespoon sized amount of the birthday cookie dough.
Gently fold the dough back over the cookie dough and pinch together tightly until the dough ball is completely sealed.
Place the dough back onto the baking sheet with the pinched side facing down.
Repeat for the remaining dough balls. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise another hour.
Topping the Dough
Separate your concha topping into 12 equal sized pieces. Roll each piece in your hand until a smooth ball forms.
To top your conchas, take a piece of topping and place it on a flat surface between two pieces of plastic wrap.
Using the bottom of a cake pan or pie plate (or tortilla press), flatten the concha topping until it’s about 4-5 inches in diameter.
Remove one side of the plastic wrap and gently place the concha topping on top of your dough ball. Give the dough ball a gentle press to ensure the topping is secured to the top of the dough.
Repeat until every dough ball is covered.
Using a concha stamp or a knife, create a seashell design for each concha. Be sure to not cut too deep into the dough. Press gently so you only penetrate the topping.
Next, gently lift a concha and place it topping side down into a bowl of rainbow sprinkles to coat the entire surface of the topping.
Repeat with each remaining concha. This step takes time, be patient with yourself.
After coating the concha in sprinkles. gently place it (dough side down) back onto the baking sheet.
Allow the conchas to rise with the topping for another 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 325 F. (I like to place my conchas on top of the stove as the oven preheats for an ensured rise.)
Bake your conchas (one tray at a time) for 22-24 minutes (rotate every 11-12 minutes). Your conchas are done when you can see the dough at the bottom has turned a golden brown color, and the golden brown color is peeking through the shell design as well.
Allow your conchas to cool for at least 30 minutes, and then enjoy with cafecita or milk.
I really hope y’all enjoy this recipe! -Chanel
Tips
Try to gauge the temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer. If your oven runs too hot or cold, this will affect how your conchas bake.
Concha topping can be prepared a couple of days ahead of time. Be sure to wrap in plastic and set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
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