Vanilla and Chocolate Conchas

1. Dissolve yeast in water in a large bowl. Stir in 2 cups flour, sugar, evaporated milk, lard, egg, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a large greased bowl, then turn so greased side faces up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Meanwhile, make topping dough. Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Stir in flour until mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Divide into 2 equal parts. Stir cocoa powder into 1 part and vanilla extract into the other.

4. Divide chocolate topping into 4 small balls; roll each piece into a flat circle. Repeat for the vanilla topping.

5. Punch down concha dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball; placed on a greased baking sheet. Place a vanilla or chocolate circle on each ball of dough, smoothing it over the top. Make 5 or 6 shallow cuts across the circle to form a shell pattern. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

7. Bake conchas until lightly browned around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cook's Note:

Do not substitute vegetable shortening for the lard.