Churros

Churros. The utterance of the word, makes hearts melt and mouths salivate. I tried my first churro in my youth. All of eleven years old, just started middle school, and my aunt’s sister, Esther, had her own churro truck on the corner of my school. I begged my mother to take me for some nearly everyday and of course more often than not, she would succumb to my pleas.

These churros have seriously been the number one chart topper of all churros I’ve consumed in my entire life so I dedicate this blog post to Esther! This recipe is pretty close, so have a go at it and enjoy some fried happiness, churros. Feel free to pair it with some warm chocolate sauce! Read below to find out where I’ve found the recipe to this delectable recipe. 

Cuba!

Pardon to sound all book-review-ish but I cannot help but shout at the top of my lungs when it comes to my newest cookbook purchase, Cuba!Recipes and Stories from the Cuban Kitchen by Dan Goldberg. Born and raised Cuban-American I can most certainly appreciate my culture’s dish. Aside from the traditional recipes of pre-communist Cuba this book includes recipes that have arisen as a result of the changes in politics in Cuba. As you may know, the Castro communist regime left many Cubans with little selection to nearly non-existent rations. The food choices and recipes became sparse, but not for long as the people of Cuba and their insatiable palate and creativity set out to reinvent the way they cooked. 

Churros

Ingredients

1 cup, plus 2 tbsp sugar, divided
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs
vegetable oil for deep drying

Prepare

1. Mix 1 cup of the sugar with the cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the water, butter, and salt in a saucepan and bring the mixture just to a boil.

3. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan, 1 – 2 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, either stirring by hand or beating on a low speed until each one is incorporated before adding the next. Note that the eggs will seem to break the dough, but it will eventually come back together as you continue mixing.

6. Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip or churro dispenser.

7. Heat at least 4 inches of oil in a heavy pot over medium high until it reaches 350 degrees Farhenheit.

8. Working in small batches, pipe 4 to 5 inch lengths of dough into the hot oil, using a small knife to carefully cut the dough to length,

9. Fry until golden browned and cooked in the center, 4 to 5 minutes (cut open the first churro to test for doneness).

10. Remove the churros from the oil using a slotted spoon.

11. Drain on paper towels, and toss with cinnamon sugar to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.