Churros
Ridged, crisp fried dough sticks tossed in cinnamon sugar and served hot with a thick, spoonable hot chocolate for dipping.
Method
- 1
Bring the water, 1 tablespoon of oil, the sugar and salt to the boil in a saucepan.
- 2
Take the pan off the heat, tip in all the flour and beat hard with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth, thick dough with no lumps.
- 3
Leave the dough to cool slightly so it is easier to pipe.
- 4
Mix the 75 g sugar and the cinnamon on a plate.
- 5
Spoon the dough into the piping bag. It will be stiff, so fill it only halfway.
- 6
Heat the frying oil, at least 5 cm deep, to 180°C.
- 7
Pipe 10 cm lengths straight into the oil, snipping them off with scissors. Fry 4 or 5 at a time so the pan is not crowded.
- 8
Fry, turning once, until crisp and golden brown all over.
- 9
Lift out, drain on kitchen paper for a few seconds, then roll in the cinnamon sugar while hot. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- 10
For the chocolate, whisk the cornflour into 2 tablespoons of the milk. Heat the rest of the milk until steaming.
- 11
Add the chopped chocolate and sugar to the hot milk and stir until melted, then whisk in the cornflour mix.
- 12
Simmer, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- 13
Pour into small cups and serve with the hot churros for dipping.
Notes
- Keep the oil at a steady 180°C. Too cool and the churros soak up oil, too hot and they brown before the inside cooks.
- Air pockets in the dough can make the oil spit, so pipe slowly and steadily and keep your hands clear of the pan.
- Churros are best eaten within minutes of frying, while they are still crisp.
Equipment
Medium saucepan, Wooden spoon, Piping bag with 1 cm open star nozzle, Deep heavy pan, Cooking thermometer, Scissors, Slotted spoon, Kitchen paper, Small saucepan, Whisk