Anyone who knows me knows my love for churros. I do not remember the exact date I encountered my first churro, but I can tell you I was working the a.m. barista position at an establishment on the corner of Rush & Grand. A regular customer offered me one as a gesture of appreciation for the latte I had prepared for her. I was instantly hooked, and needless to say this customer never paid for another beverage on any of my shifts.
That was probably ten years ago.
This year, for my 36th birthday, my wife enrolled me in a class entitled, "Small Spanish Plates." I was ecstatic to learn that churros was on the list of dishes that we would be preparing (I also began to think that this may be a dangerous skill to acquire). And last night I made my first batch of the sweet treats. Here's the recipe I used:
CHURROS
Makes about 2 dozen 4" churros
For the dough:
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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For the dough:
1) In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water, brown sugar, salt and butter to a boil.
2) Once the butter has melted, add the flour all at once.
3) Lower the heat to medium, and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough leaves the side of the pan, and forms a ball.
4) Continue cooking and stirring until the dough forms a crust along the sides and bottom of the pan.
5) Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing mixture fitted with a paddle attachment.
6) Beat on medium to release some of the steam.
7) Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. The dough will separate, then hold together again.
8) Fit a pastry bag with a 3/4" open star tip.
9) Fill the pastry bag no more than halfway. (You can always refill, but an overfilled pastry bag is hard to manipulate.)
FRY:
10) In a heavy saucepan, bring 2" of vegetable oil to 375°F over medium high.
11) Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl or dish, combine the topping ingredients, and set aside until needed.12) Test the oil by placing a small amount of dough in it. The dough should bubble up right away. (If not, the oil is not ready, and you'll end up with a soggy greasy churro.)
13) When the oil is ready, pipe 4" lengths of dough into the oil, using your fingers (or kitchen scissors) to break off the dough. CAREFUL! Depending on the pan size, you should be able to fit 4 or 5 churros without crowding.
14) Fry until golden, about 1 minute, then turn/flip, and cook for an additional minute or two until cooked through. The churro should be an even golden brown on all sides, and cooked throughout.
15) Remove the churros with a spider or slotted spoon to a wire rack placed on a cookie sheet.
16) While still warm, roll each churro in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated, shaking off the excess.
17) Continue with the remaining batter.
These are best served with Mexican hot chocolate, which I will post the recipe for at a later date.
