Fried dough smothered in sugar and dipped in chocolate? Yes, please! Because my family came from Spain, I have a true love for everything Spanish including their desserts. I was lucky enough to spend some time studying in Spain, and churros were the very first Spanish sweet treat I tasted. Whether served at restaurants after meals, late at night on city streets, or at home they remain a beloved treat.
TIP: Churros come in many shapes. These teardrop ones will each have a unique shape as you pipe and fry them. For straight churros, simply pipe the dough onto the parchment in straight lines.
Spanish Churros with Chocolate Dip
Special Equipment: pastry bag with a size 26 open star piping tip, double boiler, large heavy duty pot, tongs, frying spider
Recipe makes 4 to 6 servings. Total time 2 hours and 20 minutes, including time needed for the dough to rest and the churros to chill. Active time 60 minutes.
Ingredients:
For the churros:
1¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6-8 cups vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup granulated sugar for coating the churros
For the chocolate:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup whole milk
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
For the churros: In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, butter, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. The moment it begins to boil, remove the pan from heat. Add the flour and whisk vigorously until flour is fully incorporated.
Turn the heat to low and cook the dough, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes. The batter will begin to thicken like oatmeal as it cooks and start to hold together. Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is well incorporated before adding the next. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before making churros.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer half of the dough to a piping bag fitted with a medium open star tip. Using the piping bag, make teardrop-shaped churros on the parchment. Press the dough together where the two ends meet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Pour the sugar onto a plate. Pour oil into a large heavy pot and heat over medium-high heat until it registers 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer.
Working in small batches, lower the churros into the oil using a frying spider (do not overcrowd the pan; if churros touch they will stick together). Use the spider to turn each churro in the oil and fry 1 more minute, until golden brown. Remove the churros from the oil and place on the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Roll them in sugar while hot. Serve warm with small cups of warm chocolate!
For the chocolate: Bring a couple inches of water in the bottom of a double boiler to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chocolate to the top of the double boiler and cook until melted.
Combine the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla in a separate saucepan and stir over medium-low heat. When the milk mixture begins to steam, slowly add it to the melted chocolate while stirring. Add the cocoa powder and stir to combine. Serve with the churros.
Recipe first featured on Ranch To Table Season 4 Episode 6: "Seafood Paella" on theMagnolia Network.
