Costra de Azúcar

also called costra de azucar · costra · concha topping · tapa de concha · sugar paste topping · cookie lid

The table

1/3 cup(65 g)vegetable shorteningcream the fats and sugarwork in the flour to a stiff pastestir in the vanilla, then divide and tint
1/4 cup(55 g)softened unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups(150 g)powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups(150 g)all-purpose flour
1 tsp(5 mL)vanilla extract
1 Tbs(6 g)cocoa powder
4 dropspink gel food colouring
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.7 things to get out.

1cream the fats and sugar

2work in the flour to a stiff paste

goes in with what step 1 made

3stir in the vanilla, then divide and tint

goes in with what step 2 made

Cooking it

Not one step here is timed, so there is no clock to keep — only the order things happen in.

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

This one never puts a number on anything — not one of its 3 steps is timed, so how long it takes is honestly unknown. The recipe itself says 20 min altogether, but it does not say where that time goes.

  1. cream the fats and sugar

    not timedfrom the start

  2. work in the flour to a stiff paste

    not timedfrom the start

  3. stir in the vanilla, then divide and tint

    not timedfrom the start

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Costra de Azúcar
>> category: Pastry & Doughs
>> tags: topping, mexican, sugar, paste, make-ahead
>> counters: Panadería
>> aka: costra de azucar, costra, concha topping, tapa de concha, sugar paste topping, cookie lid
>> pairs-with: conchas, bigotes-de-pina
>> servings: 16
>> time: 20 min
>> step.1: cream the fats and sugar
>> step.2: work in the flour to a stiff paste
>> step.3: stir in the vanilla, then divide and tint

Cream @vegetable shortening{1/3%cup}(65 g) and @softened unsalted butter{1/4%cup}(55 g) with @powdered sugar{1 1/4%cup}(150 g) until pale. Shortening is not a shortcut here — it is what keeps the lid from melting into the bun in the oven, and every shop uses it.

Work @all-purpose flour{1 1/4%cup}(150 g) into @&(~1)creamed fat{} until it comes together as a stiff, rollable paste, about the feel of marzipan.

Stir @vanilla extract{1%tsp}(5 mL) through @&(~1)paste{}, then divide it in three: leave one plain, knead @cocoa powder{1%Tbs}(6 g) into the second and @pink gel food colouring{4%drops} into the third. Vanilla, chocolate and pink strawberry are the three lids in the case; nothing else about them differs.