Churros
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- pinch of salt
- 300 g flour
- oil, for frying
- cinnamon sugar, for coating
- thick hot chocolate, for serving
Traditional Spanish churros keep to just water, flour and salt — no eggs or butter — which is what gives them their crisp, almost crackling exterior rather than the softer, custardy interior of egg-enriched versions. The dough is piped through a star-shaped nozzle for its signature ridges, fried until deep golden, rolled in cinnamon sugar, and served with thick, pudding-like Spanish hot chocolate for dipping.
Method
Bring the water to a boil with the sugar, cinnamon stick and salt.
Remove the cinnamon stick, then stir in the flour all at once off the heat, mixing vigorously until a smooth, thick dough forms.
Let the dough cool slightly, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
Heat oil to around 190°C (375°F).
Pipe lengths of dough directly into the hot oil, snipping with scissors, and fry until deep golden, 3-4 minutes.
Drain briefly, then roll immediately in cinnamon sugar while still hot.
Serve with thick hot chocolate for dipping.
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- pinch of salt
- 300 g flour
- oil, for frying
- cinnamon sugar (sugar mixed with ground cinnamon), for coating
- cajeta or dulce de leche, for filling (optional)
Spanish colonizers brought churros to Mexico, where the recipe was adapted over generations into something distinctly its own: the dough is often piped thicker, the coating is a cinnamon-sugar mix rather than plain sugar, and instead of the thin dough used for dipping in hot chocolate, Mexican churros are frequently split and filled with cajeta (goat's-milk caramel), dulce de leche, chocolate, or jam, and eaten on their own without a dipping sauce.
Method
Bring the water to a boil with the sugar, cinnamon stick and salt.
Remove the cinnamon stick, then stir in the flour all at once off the heat, mixing vigorously until a smooth, thick dough forms.
Let the dough cool slightly, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip for a thicker churro.
Heat oil to around 190°C (375°F).
Pipe thick lengths of dough directly into the hot oil, snipping with scissors, and fry until deep golden, 3-4 minutes.
Drain briefly, then roll immediately in cinnamon sugar while still hot.
If filling, use a piping tip to inject cajeta or dulce de leche into one end of each churro once cool enough to handle.
Serve on their own, without a dipping sauce.
