Mini Mazapan Conchas

                I didn’t think I liked conchas growing up, but I found out that I just didn’t like stale conchas.

                There was a local panaderia (Mexican bakery) my family went to as a kid and the conchas would disappoint me every single time.

                Why were they stale? It’s crumbling in my hands. Most of it is on the floor. This is not delicious.  

                For anyone not familiar with conchas, they are a sweet Mexican bread with a streusel topping that is made to resemble a seashell, or concha in Spanish.

On a recent trip to Mexico, I found a five-pound bag of mazapan powder. Mazapanes are Mexican peanut candies, the most popular brand being De La Rosa mazapanes. They’re crumbly and delicious and if you can open one without it crumbling into a million pieces, then you are incredibly skilled! They typically come in little discs, so I was super excited to find a bag of loose Mazapan powder!

Dessert ideas started bouncing around in my head!

Funny story: I brought a lot of stuff back from Mexico, so this bag of Mazapan powder went into my carry-on bag. I didn’t occur to me until airport security pulled my bag aside for inspection that a giant bag of powder probably didn’t look great on the x-ray machines.

I’m so dumb.

They opened the bag and one quick look at the sealed De La Rosa bag cleared me of all suspicions and the airport agent was super excited because she had never seen a bag of loose Mazapan powder either!

Anyways, moving onto the recipe!

This was my first attempt at Mazapan topped conchas.

Here are a few things I learned:

1.       Conchas are a lot of work, especially mini ones! Make sure you have time before attempting these.

2.       I added 40 grams of Mazapan powder, but I’ll likely add more next time. These were good but the Mazapan flavor was subtle.

3.       I heat up the oven to 200 degrees F while making the dough, and then shut it off before placing the dough in the oven to rise. I’ve had some difficulty getting concha dough to rise in the past, but this tip has yielded consistent results from most breads.

4.       These are adorable and a fun gift!

Mini Mazapan Conchas

Ingredients

For the dough

500 grams of flour

125 grams of granulated sugar

1 packet of instant yeast (or 2 ¼ tsp)

1 tsp of salt

100 grams of unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla

120 ml of warm milk (about a half cup)

For the streusel topping

120 grams of flour

100 grams of vegetable shortening

60 grams of powdered sugar

40 grams of Mazapan powder

Directions

For the dough

1.       Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Your dough will rise in there.

2.       In the bowl of a stand mixer combine flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and salt. Give a quick mix.

3.       Add butter and mix using a hook attachment. It will be crumbly.

4.       Add eggs and vanilla. Return to the mixer.

5.       Add warm milk. It should be between 100 and 110 degrees F. Return to the mixer for 4 – 5 minutes. Dough should come together into a tacky, but not sticky, ball.

6.       SHUT OFF YOUR OVEN!

7.       You should have a lovely ball of dough by now. Coat a bowl with vegetable oil and drop your dough in, making sure to coat it with oil on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap.

8.       Dough will need to rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.

For the streusel topping

1.       In a bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar, and Mazapan powder.

2.       Add 100 grams of vegetable shortening. I started mixing this with a spatula and then resorted to just using my hands.

3.       Since we’re making mini conchas, the topping needs to be divided into 32 portions, about 9-10 grams each. Use a scale to measure them and roll them into balls. Set them aside.

Put it all together!

1.       Once the dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a floured surface and divide into 32 balls (about 30 grams each.)

2.       When the dough is portioned out, flatten the topping balls with a tortilla press, or the back of a plate. Make sure to use flour so that the topping doesn’t stick to everything.

3.       Place your topping discs on top of the dough balls and score with a pairing knife, or if you’re fancy, use a concha cutter to make the traditional concha shape. I don’t have one.

4.       Once the topping is distributed, cover conchas with a towel and let rise another 45 minutes. They should double in size.

5.       Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and bake conchas for 20-25 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.

6.       Let cool and enjoy!