How to prepare churros

A churro is a type of fried dough sweet snack consisting of a strip of fried dough dusted with sugar or cinnamon from Spanish and Portuguese cuisines.

They are also found in Latin American cuisine and the cuisine of the Philippines and in other areas that have received immigration from Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Churros are almost like donuts but straight, creamy, with an emphasis on crunchy, in the right proportions.

An authentic Spanish churro is thin and needs to be piped through a star-shaped funnel tip.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 ½ tablespoons white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts oil for frying
• ½ cup white sugar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.

• Heat oil for frying in a deep fryer or deep pot to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Pipe 5- to 6-inch strips of dough into the hot oil using a sturdy pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Do not overcrowd the oil. Fry until golden; drain on paper towels.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll drained churros in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Caramel dipping sauce 

I totally love the caramel dipping sauce. It has a fine viscosity, lightly salted and slightly bitter in a deliciously toasty way that adds a sweet depth to the churro situation.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Method:

• Add the sugar to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat on medium high until the it begins to melt around the edges.
• Carefully swirl the sugar with a heatproof spatula until all the sugar has melted and has reached about 338F on a candy thermometer. The colour should be a deep amber and it should smoke slightly, but be careful not to let it burn.
• Add the butter in pieces, and stir until melted. Stir in the vanilla.
• Remove from heat and very carefully add the cream (it may bubble up) and stir until smooth. Stir in the salt.
• Pour caramel into a jar and let cool to room temperature while you make the churros.

Note:

- Prepare the dipping sauce before getting started on the churros.

- Don't over mix so that they do not end up chewy.

- Don't make them too thick so that they cook all the way through.

- Don't overcrowd the pan. Putting too many lowers the temperature of the oil. This will cause you to cook them for a longer time after they're brown or remove them while still raw.

- This method serves three to four people.