Spanish Churros with Salted Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Try the Churrrosss!
Ever since I took my 1st trip to Disneyland in 1993 (little 5 year old Jessica) I have been obsessed with churros. Seriously, of all the things I remember from my little kiddie trip to Disneyland, my first churro stands out the most. That, and when my parents left me at the hotel with my Nan & Pop so they could watch Ursula rise from the lake without me…I’m still bitter.
Point being, churros have a very special place in my heart. Specifically, that 3-foot paper tube churro that you only find at carnivals and late 90s Costcos. For the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix, there was no question that churros would be on the menu. The one thing I’ve learned through my years of churro hunting is that they are actually pretty easy to screw up. If the oil isn’t hot enough then it will impregnate the dough and make it crunchy and awful. A good churro must be fresh from the fryer, crispy on the outside, but light and fluffy on the inside. And hot take, I do not like my churros filled with anything. What makes the churro so special is the bouncy soft interior, which generally I find is lost when filled with caramel or chocolate. But a good dipping sauce? Game changer.
Because churros are so sweet, I recommend using a dark bitter chocolate to offset the sugar as opposed to a caramel or dulce de leche sauce. A pinch of sea salt turns this recipe into an adult treat fit for any celebration…but especially a grand prix eat!
Spanish Churros with Salted Chocolate Dipping Sauce
These churros never fail. Crispy, fluffy, and fried to perfection. Served with a traditional bitter chocolate sauce with a little modern salty twist.
Ingredients
- 45 grams salted butter
- ½ cup water
- 1½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 60 grams 70% dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup half & half cream
- 1 pinch course sea salt
Instructions
Churros
- In a small saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar and salt and bring to a light boil. Once the mix is boiling, remove the pan from the heat and dump all the flour in at once. Beat with a spoon quickly until all the flour is mixed in.
- Place your dough ball into the base of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and being beating the mix to help cool it down slightly.
- Place your beaten eggs into a pouring vessel (like a liquid measuring cup) and start slowing mixing the eggs into the dough a little at a time. Allow the eggs to fully combine before adding more, and check about half way through to see how moist the batter is. You will likely only need a bit more than half depending on your egg size. The batter should be stiff enough to be piped while holding its shape.
- TIP: I test the consistency by taking a bit of dough between my thumb and forefinger, and if you see a nice v-shape when you separate your fingers you're probably in a good place.
- To pipe your churros you have two options. You can either pre-pipe the churros into a shape or free pipe directly into the oil. I prefer to pipe onto a small piece of parchment and then fridge to retain the nice ridges and also do a bit of prep work so I can enjoy a fresh hot churro for dessert.
- Fill a piping bag, fitted with a large star tip, with your churro mix. If pre-piping, set out roughly 5"x5" squares of parchment onto a baking sheet. Pipe your churros into a tear drop shape and set in the fridge to chill until ready to fry.
- Mix your cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside to coat your churros.
- Heat your oil to 370° and set aside some paper towel to drain the churros.
- Drop the churros into the fryer, parchment and all, fry for 1.5-2 minutes per side, flipping once. The parchment will quickly separate from the churro and can be removed with tongs.
- Once fried place your churros on the paper towel to drain for 30 seconds, then quickly pop them into the cinnamon sugar to coat while hot.
Chocolate Sauce
- Setup a small double boiler on the stove and add the chocolate and cream together. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and cream melt together. If it seems like the water is to hot simple remove the bowl and stir off-heat. Add a sprinkling of sea salt and stir, pour the sauce in a little bowl, and garnish with a little extra sea salt.
