Is there any particular place or memory that comes up when you think of churros? For me there’s two. The first being that I will always associate churros with my elementary school’s annual carnival. The booth my mom ran every year, the most popular one indeed, sold two of my now favorite treats, warm chocolate chip cookies straight from the school’s oven and churros. (This just might have something to do with my obsession with all things treats, particularly the fact that my all-time fav dessert is none other than the classic chocolate chip cookie.) But back to the churros. They were delicious. And I ate a lot.
The second memory connected to churros for me is from my days in the professional restaurant kitchen. I use to have churros on my dessert menu. They were paired with a mexican chocolate dipping sauce, a spicy dulce de leche and a handmade cinnamon ice cream. My mouth is watering just thinking about that combo. They were a favorite for sure but I’ll never forget how many customers either couldn’t pronouce them (no big deal) or more importantly, had never tried one. And I loved being able to open up their world to a whole new fried goodness obsession and watch the clients dining in fancy suits and dresses enjoying this fun childhood favorite. Some days we couldn’t make them fast enough, as they were fried to order, and we often ran out of the dough and had to “86” them (a term used when there’s no more of an item on a menu.)
One thing though, that a lot of churro lovers might not know, is how easy they are to make at home. The dough really just takes a few minutes. It’s basically a pate a choux dough if you’ve ever made cream puffs or eclairs. But if you haven’t, that just means it’s a light, silky dough that gets double cooked. The first time is over the stovetop and then baked in the oven for choux dough and fried in oil for churros. The first part over the stove just take a tiny bit of elbow grease but is done in all of about 5-10 minutes. Then you use a handheld or stand mixer to incorporate the eggs. What I love about this dough, which came in handy in the restaurant, is that it can be made ahead of time and then chilled until you’re ready to fry.
Now if you’re like me and try to avoid any kind of frying at home, for various reasons, I assure you, these churros are worth making an exception. And your friends, family, or whoever you’re quarantining with, will love you all the more. Make the chocolate sauce too, and you just might be put in their “favorite person” category. I do hope you try these Homemade Churros yourself and let me know how it goes.
Homemade Churros with Mexican Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tbsps granulated sugar
- 1 cup (128g) all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, cold
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- vegeatable oil for frying
For finishing:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (100g) chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 discs (135g) Mexican hot chocolate bar, chopped (like Abuelita or Ibarra)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
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In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt & sugar to a boil.
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Once it starts boiling, remove from the heat and quicky whisk in the cup of flour. Once it's all combined, shake the dough out of the whisk and switch to a rubber spatula.
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Place the pan back over a medium-low heat and stir the smooth dough ball continuously over the heat until a thin film coats the bottom of the pan. (refer to picture)
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Remove from the heat and transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer. Let the dowl sit about 10 minutes to cool a bit.
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Then using the paddle attachment or beaters, begin to beat the dough, adding the eggs one at a time, letting them combine completely before adding the next. Once both eggs are added let it mix on medium speed for a couple minutes until smooth and silky.
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While the dough is mixing, begin heating the oil in a medium/ large saucepan. (Use enough so it goes up sides to almost half of the pan, about 4 inches.) Heat the oil to between 350/370F or 180/190C.
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When the dough is finished, transfer it to a piping bag (this is the best choice, but in a pinch, a doubled plastic zip-top bag might work, but they tend to bust) fitted with a large star tip (I use Ateco 846.)
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Once the oil is hot enough, snip off the end of the piping bag and begin piping the churro dough directly into the hot oil, using a kitchen shears to cut them once they are 6" long. Add a few more to the pot, but do not overcrowd the oil.
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Fry the churros for about 2 minutes per side, flipping them once the bottom side is golden brown. Then place them on a paper towel lined plate to dry slightly.
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Then while still warm, roll them carefully in the cinnamon sugar to coat both sides.
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Repeat with the rest of the dough, making sure the oil is still hot enough between batches.
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Serve warm as is or with the Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce.
For the Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce-
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Place the 2 chopped chocolates in a medium bowl. Heat up the cream to simmering, then pour over the chocolate. Let sit for a minute, add in the salt and stir until smooth.
Recipe Notes
*Make Ahead- the churro dough can be made a day or two in advance, and stored wrapped tightly in plastic or in the piping bag in the refrigertator. Place at room temperature 30 minutes to an hour before using
*Don’t have a star tip? Just cut a smallish tip of the pastry bag. They just won’t have that classic lined shape.
*Don’t have a thermometer to check the oil? You can drop a small amount of dough in the heated oil…. If the oil starts to bubble steadily, then the temperature is ready. If it bubbles too vigorously, then the oil is too hot. Turn down the heat a bit.
