Unicorn Birthday Cake

Churros are fried dough pastries that originated in Spain and have since captured the hearts of people all over the globe. They are crunchy, they are soft from the inside, and most importantly they are sugarcoated, a perfect snack for any time!

Churros are a popular breakfast, snack, and dessert item that can be found in Spain and other countries.

Usually accompanied with warm chocolate sauce or a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar, churros are quite easy to make at home. These fresh, made-at-home churros can be prepared with some simple ingredients in a short period.

Ingredients for Churros

To make classic churros, you’ll need the following ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 1 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For Frying:

• Vegetable oil (for frying)

For Coating:

• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Optional Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

Instructions for Making Churros

Prepare the Dough

Start by making the dough, churro dough is also known as”choux pastry.” In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, butter, sugar and salt. Everything should be mixed to make a paste and let it cook at low flame, this will boil. Bring mixture to a boil and add butter, reduce heat to low.

Then add in the flour all at once and stir constantly until a ball forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan. This process will probably take 1-2 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes

Add Eggs and Vanilla

When the dough is warm, but not hot, add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Combine by hand with a wooden spoon or using an electric mixer. It will also look like it’s breaking up at first; however, once you continue mixing the dough, it becomes smooth and sticky. Then, stir in the vanilla extract the dough will be stiff and shiny.

Heat the Oil

Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep pan or pot to 350°F (175°C). Making sure the oil is at a consistent temperature is crucial to getting that crispy, evenly fried churro.

Pipe the Churros

Using a large star piping tip, spoon the churro batter into a piping bag. If you have no piping bag, you can also make use of a regular sandwich bag just cut off the corner of the bag and that becomes your piping tip.

Pipe dough straight into the hot oil in 4-6 inch lengths, cutting off with scissors or a knife.

Fry the Churros

In batches, fry the churros in oil (do not overcrowd them). Deep fry each churro for 2-3 minutes per side until crispy and golden brown. Once you are happy with your churros, take a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and onto some paper towel on a plate.

Coat with Cinnamon Sugar

While the churros are still warm, roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until evenly coated. This is what gives them that nice sweet and spicy flavour.

Make the Chocolate Dipping Sauce (Optional)

You can serve your churros with a chocolate dipping sauce for a little extra! For the sauce, warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it’s just starting to simmer.

Take off from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for 1 minute and then stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. So now you should get a nice, rich chocolate dip with your churros!

Variations of Churros

There are several ways to customize churros to suit your tastes:

1. Stuffed Churros: Fill your churros with Nutella, dulce de leche or vanilla pastry cream for an extra decadent treat. The process of injecting the filling into the centre of each churro is done by using a piping bag that has been fitted with a small round tip after frying.
2. Chocolate Churros: Simply whisk in some cocoa powder to the dough for that rich chocolate flavour, perfect for… well, chocoholics. Alternatively, you can dunk your churros in melted chocolate for an extra special addition.
3. Churro Bites: Use a piping bag to pipe out small, easy-to-eat churros. Mini Churros are excellent for parties with many dipping sauces to go along with them.
4. Extra Spiced Churros: Sprinkle a bit of added spices (nutmeg, cardamom, cloves) to the cinnamon sugar finish for an exaggerated taste profile. The flavour of the original is not as good and this one I think fits up more with autumn or winter months in which a warm spiced treat can be extremely comfortable.
5. Make it dairy-free: Instead of dairy butter, choose a plant-based margarine or coconut oil, use a vegan egg replacer like flaxseed meal o apple sauce in place of eggs, and bake them instead.

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Churros

• Monitor the oil temperature: Always watch your oil temperature. Otherwise, the churros will burn on the outside but remain uncooked inside. If they are too cold, you make them greasy.
• Fry the churros in small batches (four at a time) so that they do not receive stick together and cook all evenly.
• Star tip: The star tip used in piping helps form the ridged edges characteristic of churros, which are essential for getting them to crisp up when they cook.
• Serve immediately: Churros are best served fresh and warm. They do lose their crunch fairly quickly if left to stand.

Conclusion

Churros is a fun and quick dessert/treat to make at home using minimal ingredients. With or without fillings, plain or dipped in chocolate, churros make everybody happy. This easy recipe lets you make crispy, yummy churros at home for your family, party or just a cosy night in. Happy Eating!

Churros will undoubtedly be a hit in your home, either being made on their original recipe or choosing from the many adaptations you can discover for them.