Churros: Warm. Crunchy. Cinnamon Goodness.
Please tell me I am not the only one who can’t resist that wonderful smell of a hot crispy churro being pulled from the fryer and then rolled around in cinnamon and sugar. It is a simple and wonderful treat that I look forward to indulging in at every festival, carnival, fair, amusement park, or trip to Sam’s Club. ; ). To me they are magical.
And then Food and Wine had to go there. By taking that warm cinnamon sugar crusted treat and dip it in warm chocolate. Why? Did they have to do that? Cinnamon + chocolate = another magical, no mysterious food combo that just can’t be beat.
I couldn’t stop thinking about these churros and finally broke down to make them. I couldn’t resist the temptation. However, I was sorely disappointed. All that I had hyped this recipe up to be in my head it turned out not so. : ( Maybe because I messed up on the recipe somewhere along the way or maybe it is my poor frying skills or maybe it was just not as good as a recipe as I hoped. But these failed. The chocolate sauce was extremely runny. The churros where cooked on the outside (almost even burnt) and slightly doughy on the inside. Major disappointment. I will try making churros again but not for a while… I need to recover from this.
I did take a picture of these churros and the chocolate sauce but the pictures turned out just as bad as the food so I will not be posting them. I guess better luck next time.
One Year Ago: Chocolate Chip Cookies
Warm Churros and Hot Chocolate
Printable Version
Prep Time: 20 minutes Wait Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes Serves 8
2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound)
Kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 large egg white
2 1/4 cups water
2 cups whole milk
2 cups half and half
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
In a large saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil with the butter and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Remove from the heat, add the flour and stir vigorously until incorporated. Return to moderate heat and cook, stirring, until the dough pulls away from the side, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Using an electric mixer, beat the dough at low speed for 1 minute, just until slightly cooled. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat in the eggs and egg white, one at a time. Transfer the dough to a bowl, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until cooled to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the milk and half and half with 1/2 cup of water until small bubbles appear around the edge. Add the chocolate chips, cocoa powder, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar and a pinch of salt and whisk over low heat until the chocolate is melted. Keep warm over very low heat.
In another large saucepan, heat the oil to 375°. Set a rack on a large baking sheet and cover with paper towels. In a pie plate, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon. Scoop the dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
Working quickly, squeeze 6-inch lengths of the dough into the hot oil, cutting them off with a knife. Fry no more than 8 churros at a time; they expand a bit as they cook. Fry over moderately high heat, turning once or twice, until browned, about 8 minutes. Drain the churros on the rack for 2 minutes, then toss with the cinnamon sugar in the pie plate. Serve at once with hot chocolate.
adapted from Food and Wine, February 2007