Churros con Chocolate

In necessary preparation for my summer as an au pair in Spain my friend Lavinia (who lived in Spain for 7 years) and I decided have a very Spanish Sunday. At our local farmers market we ate paella before going back to my house to make churros con chocolate, the iconic dessert/breakfast of Madrid.

The dough comes together very quickly on the stove, similar to choux pastry, and uses only basic ingredients. I find somewhat frying daunting, but these are a little easier to do than normal donuts as they are thinner. The chocolate dipping sauce is dark and thick with just a bit of sweetness, perfect to coat the churros or to sip as you enjoy them. These churros are a little technical but they come together quite quickly and are a true treat to share with friends and family.

If you use smaller piping tip like in the second picture, they will fry more quickly and evenly!

Ingredients for the dough:

• 2 cups (260g) all purpose flour

• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk

• 1 cup (240ml) water

• 2 tablespoons butter

• Pinch of salt

• 1 egg + 1 yolk

• Canola oil, for frying

• Sugar, for coating

Ingredients for the chocolate dip:

• 1 cups whole milk

• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (you can use unsweetened and add more sugar)

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 teaspoon more milk

Method:

1. Measure the flour into a small bowl and set aside.

2. In a medium pot set over medium heat, mix the milk, water, butter, and the pinch of salt. Let heat until the butter melts and the mixture just begins to simmer around the edges before turning off the heat.

3. With the heat off, mix in the flour vigorously using a wooden spoon or a danish dough whisk. Let sit three minutes to cool slightly before mixing in the egg and the yolk. It may look at first like it won't integrate, but just stir very vigorously. Set aside.

4. Fill a tall saucepan halfway with canola oil. Use a thermometer to heat slowly to 350° F. If you don't have a thermometer just watch for the oil to bubble around a piece of test batter.

5. Meanwhile bring the milk for the chocolate sauce to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Turn off the heat and add the chopped chocolate, sugar, vanilla, and espresso powder. Let sit for 5 minutes before whisking to a homogenous mixture. Set aside.

6. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with the dough.

7. In the hot oil, working in batches, extrude pieces of dough, using a scissors to cut them off from each other. Don't add more than 3 or 4 at a time or the temperature will drop too much. As you fry, be sure to regulate the temperature of the oil, increasing the heat or turning off the burner, keeping the temperature around 350° F. Use a heat safe tongs to safely move around the churros as needed.

8. When they are deeply golden brown (they'll look passable for a while but you want them very dark golden---longer and darker than you might think), remove them from the oil using the tongs to a plate lined with paper towel. After the churros sit for a few minutes, toss in sugar. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until all the churros are fried. Place the sugared churros onto a serving dish.

9. Before serving, finish the chocolate sauce: in a small cup stir the teaspoon of leftover milk and the cornstarch together until no lumps remain. Add to the chocolate mixture and return it to the heat. Let the chocolate mixture come to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour into serving cups.