Coquette Heart Shaped Conchitas

Instructions:

• Dough:
• Heat milk until lukewarm in the microwave.
• In a stand mixer bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and half the sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes if the mixture has bubbles you are good to go, no bubbles means dead yeast, so you will need to start over with another yeast.
• Whisk in remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Add half of the flour.
• Add melted butter, mix, then gradually add the remaining flour.
• Use a dough hook attachment to knead on low, then medium speed for 4-6 minutes until the dough is formed. If you knead the dough by hand, it will take longer, but you can do it!
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
• Sugar Paste:
• Mix flour, powdered sugar, and butter in the stand mixer.
• Divide the paste into three portions, leaving one colorless. Color the other two portions with red and pink food coloring. Wrap each batch in plastic.
• Assembly:
• Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 8 equal parts.
• Roll out each portion into a flat shape and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (I used this one). You can combine the remaining dough scraps by kneading them together, then proceed to use the cookie cutter once again.
• Place the heart-shaped conchitas on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space for them to rise (approx 1.5 inches between each). Let them rise for 30-45 minutes under a kitchen towel.
• Separate the white, pink, and red sugar pastes into four portions each, then start to roll out the divided sugar paste balls between parchment papers and use a cookie cutter to shape them into hearts.
• Place the sugar paste hearts on top of the conchitas. If you have one, use a concha cutter to score them before adding bows.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Make bows with the remaining sugar paste. Flatten the sugar paste into thin rectangles. If shaping becomes challenging, place the sugar paste in the freezer for 5 minutes, and then proceed to shape the bows. Place them on top of the conchitas. Don’t forget to work on parchment paper, and if you want to make things easier with the sugar paste, go ahead and use an icing spatula.
• Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 18-20 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
• Allow them to cool and enjoy!
  Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification. Happy baking!