Churros Three Ways
Yesterday I went out and bought 2 large jugs of vegetable oil (they were 40% off). Today, I gritted my teeth, and deep fried. The results were worth the effort of standing over a large pan of hot oil.
After a necessary break, leaving the dishes to soak in the sink, I made the chocolate sauce.
Then I took a LOT of pictures and tasted a lot of churros. :)
Close-Up of Cinnamon Sugar Tossed Churros
I wish I could share the taste but all I can do is encourage you to make your own.
Churro Trio Platter - churros tossed with cinnamon sugar or plain churros with honey and chocolate dips. If you want to be healthy, you could also add some fresh fruit to the platter (strawberries, various berries, sliced apples, peaches etc.)
PIC WILL BE REPLACED
NOTE: Churros are made with a basic choux paste which is used for cream puffs, eclairs, gougeres and profiteroles.
Churros con Chocolate
Churros (makes enough for 3-4 servings or about 40-60 churros)
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, optional (not used)
vegetable oil, for frying
Sift together the flour and salt.
In a medium saucepan, combine butter and water and bring to a boil.
When mixture is boiling, add in the flour mixture all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Continue to stir and cook the dough for about 1 minute.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been well incorporated before adding the next. Batter may look curdled before it comes together, but keep mixing and a smooth dough will form.
Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a medium (1/2") or large star tip.
NOTE: Use a cloth or other very strong pastry bag and NOT an inexpensive plastic freezer bag. If you have a cookie press, put the dough into that. It is a FIRM dough and I learned from experience as my white plastic pastry bag burst as I was piping out my very first churro.
Pour about 2-inches of oil into a deep saucepan. Bring the oil to about 350-375 deg F.
Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce.
NOTE: I was insecure so I used 4 inches of oil and it took me about 15 minutes to get the oil up to temperature at a setting between 4 and 5 on my electric stove. I then turned it down to 4 when the temp started getting above 375 deg F.
Pipe 3-4" pieces of churro dough into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, then flip and cook until golden on the second side (about 5-6 minutes total). Remove from oil and set on some paper towels to drain, then dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.
Serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, tossed with regular sugar mixed with cinnamon (1/2 regular sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon), dipped in honey or with small cups of the chocolate sauce (recipe below)
Chocolate Sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups milk (any kind)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips)
1/4 cup sugar
Whisk together the cornstarch and milk. Add mixture, along with chocolate and sugar, to a small saucepan. Bring just to boil, whisking occasionally, and cook until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.
By the way, barring the oil to replenish my supply, everything else came out of my pantry.
After a necessary break, leaving the dishes to soak in the sink, I made the chocolate sauce.
Then I took a LOT of pictures and tasted a lot of churros. :)
Close-Up of Cinnamon Sugar Tossed Churros
I wish I could share the taste but all I can do is encourage you to make your own.
Churro Trio Platter - churros tossed with cinnamon sugar or plain churros with honey and chocolate dips. If you want to be healthy, you could also add some fresh fruit to the platter (strawberries, various berries, sliced apples, peaches etc.)
PIC WILL BE REPLACED
NOTE: Churros are made with a basic choux paste which is used for cream puffs, eclairs, gougeres and profiteroles.
Churros con Chocolate
Churros (makes enough for 3-4 servings or about 40-60 churros)
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, optional (not used)
vegetable oil, for frying
Sift together the flour and salt.
In a medium saucepan, combine butter and water and bring to a boil.
When mixture is boiling, add in the flour mixture all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Continue to stir and cook the dough for about 1 minute.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been well incorporated before adding the next. Batter may look curdled before it comes together, but keep mixing and a smooth dough will form.
Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a medium (1/2") or large star tip.
NOTE: Use a cloth or other very strong pastry bag and NOT an inexpensive plastic freezer bag. If you have a cookie press, put the dough into that. It is a FIRM dough and I learned from experience as my white plastic pastry bag burst as I was piping out my very first churro.
Pour about 2-inches of oil into a deep saucepan. Bring the oil to about 350-375 deg F.
Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce.
NOTE: I was insecure so I used 4 inches of oil and it took me about 15 minutes to get the oil up to temperature at a setting between 4 and 5 on my electric stove. I then turned it down to 4 when the temp started getting above 375 deg F.
Pipe 3-4" pieces of churro dough into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, then flip and cook until golden on the second side (about 5-6 minutes total). Remove from oil and set on some paper towels to drain, then dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.
Serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, tossed with regular sugar mixed with cinnamon (1/2 regular sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon), dipped in honey or with small cups of the chocolate sauce (recipe below)
Chocolate Sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups milk (any kind)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips)
1/4 cup sugar
Whisk together the cornstarch and milk. Add mixture, along with chocolate and sugar, to a small saucepan. Bring just to boil, whisking occasionally, and cook until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.
By the way, barring the oil to replenish my supply, everything else came out of my pantry.