Serves: 3-4 people
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: About 20 minutes total
Notes: These were my favorite treats both when I was a toddler in Spain and as a kid in South Florida! This is a very special recipe to me. I hope you enjoy it! Best served fresh, hot and crispy, but if you do have to store them, wrap them in aluminum foil and then place into a tightly sealed bag (make sure little air as possible in the bag before sealing so they don’t stale) and store at a place where you can keep them room temperature and dry. To reheat, simply open up the aluminum foil slightly and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Hershey’s chocolate bars (for sauce)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- powdered sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon (for coating)
- vegetable or avocado oil halfway filled in a large pot for frying
Steps:
- On medium-low heat, stir water, milk, salt, 1 tablespoon of the butter (reserve the remaining butter for chocolate sauce) and vanilla extract in a saucepan for about 5 minutes or until liquid starts to boil or bubble. Turn off heat.
- Add sifted flour to the liquid, a little at a time, stirring with a wodden spoon until dough forms and the consistency is such that the edges easily come off the edge of the saucepan and the dough is sticky but doesn’t have too much tack. Let dough cool to room temperature.
- Beat the egg yolk and incorporate into dough — do not overwork the dough or it won’t be soft enough for piping. Add a tablespoon of water if needed.
- Heat oil on high heat. Meanwhile, fill a piping bag with the churro dough.
- When oil is at 350 degrees or rippling in the pot, turn heat down slightly to medium or medium-high and start piping the dough directly into the oil (be very careful not to burn yourself or the piping bag!). Pipe the dough into your desired length.
- Deep fry the churros until they float to the top of the pot and are a golden brown color (think of the color of an “old fashioned” donut). Turn off heat.
- Carefully take metal tongs or a metal skimmer and scoop up the churros and place onto a large plate with paper towels or a clean cloth to absorb some oil. Sprinkle cinnamon and powdered sugar and coat churros thoroughly. Melt some chocolate in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of butter, over medium heat, stirring constantly so sauce doesn’t burn. Pour into a small sauce dish for dipping and serve warm with the warm churros. Enjoy the Spanish way for breakfast with a cup of coffee and a Spanish omelette or with sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt. Or have the churros for dessert with your favorite ice cream or fresh fruit on the side.