Churros With Spicy Chocolate Sauce

If you tell me that you don’t like Churros, then I’ll know that you’ve either not tasted a churro or that you’re telling a little white lie.  This deep-fried pastry snack (originally from Portugal & Spain) will make you an instant fan. Mmmm…

Churros With Spicy Chocolate Sauce, Serves 6-8

Churro Dough

2 cups of cake flour

1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder

a pinch of salt

200-350 ml boiling water

50 g melted butter

1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla essence / extract

cinnamon sugar for dusting (mix 1/2 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

about 750 ml canola oil for frying

Chocolate Sauce

250 g dark chocolate

250 ml fresh cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1.Make the sauce by heating the cream over the stovetop in a small saucepan. Cut the chocolate into smaller chunks, then add it with the spices to the cream as soon as it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat immediately & stir for a while until the chocolate has melted completely & you have a smooth sauce. Set aside.

2.For the churros: Combine dry ingredients for the dough in a medium-sized bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients & add it to the dry, mix well until all is combined. Add more water if necessary to create the desired consistency – the mixture should be able to just hold shape.

3.Put the dough in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, then let it rest for 15 minutes.

4.Heat the oil in a heavy based pot to about 180 C, then pipe the churro dough into the oil (about 10 cm long). Fry until golden on both sides, turning them with two forks. Remove with a slotted spoon & drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, & serve with warm chocolate sauce.

Tip: With less water in the dough, you’ll get a result that holds the shape better & can be piped in longer strips (with a star nozzle). With a little more water, the result is slightly shapeless balls, but the texture resembles French canelés – very moist & chewy.

5. Try your best not to eat all the churros before your guests arrive.

Hooray for churros!

Yolandi ♥

Recipe adapted slightly from the original recipe by The Food Fox / Die Kos Vos via The Pretty Blog.