I am completely OBSESSED with Churros. Pretty sure my marriage with the Spanish version of doughnuts won't go away anytime soon.
While I don't remember when exactly my love at first bite with the fritter began, however, I do recall my virgin taste experience. If I'm not wrong, it was at a theme park during an overseas trip when I was much younger.
Since then, I'd made sure I stopped to grab a churro whenever I saw it. To my extreme delight, churros have been receiving huge popularity in Singapore!
Here's a list of places I've had my churros at, here in Singapore: Alegro Churros Bar, Grub, Churros Factory, Max Brenner Chocolate Bar, Churrosity, Spanish Doughnuts, Sabio Tapas Bar and Restaurant and Universal Studios Singapore.
Well, that sure explains my gain in weight.
I follow closely to the recipe provided by Kelly Senyei from Just A Taste. I am copying her recipe which can be found here. All credits go to her and her blog; I merely made amendments suited to my style of preparation and presentation.
My family doesn't make snacks like that often, therefore it explains why I don't have things like a piping bag or a kitchen weighing scale. I relied heavily on my tablespoons and cups.
Apologies for the low-quality images as I used my mobile phone to snap the photos.
FOR THE CHURROS:
- 1/2 Cup + 1.5 Tablespoons of Sugar, Divided
- 1.5 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Water
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons + 2 Quarts (or 8 Cups) Vegetable Oil, Divided
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
- 3.5 Ounces (or 7 Tablespoons) Dark Chocolate, Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream (or Thickened Cream)
You can use a pastry bag to pipe the churros. However, I chose to use my hands instead.
1) In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together 1 cup of water, 1.5 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
2) Bring the mixture to a boil then remove it from the heat.
3) Stir in the 1 cup of flour, mixing until it forms a ball.
4) Transfer the dough to a cloth pastry bag or heavy-duty plastic bag fitted with a large star tip. In my case, I pinched the dough bit by bit, then rolled it into the shape of a churro.
5) Heat the 8 cups of vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat.
6) Put in the dough over the pot of oil a few at a time. Be careful - stand back to avoid any splatter!
7) Fry them until they're golden brown and cooked through.
8) Transfer the churros to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
9) Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon in a bowl.
10) Roll the churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
11) Repeat the frying and coating process with the remaining dough!
1) Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl.
2) Warm the 1/2 cup of thickened cream in small saucepan. Remember NOT to let it boil!
3) Pour the chopped chocolate over the thickened cream. Let it sit for 1 minute then stir to combine.
The result of my first experiment some time last year - FAIL!
Can't remember the exact cause of death lololol, but my guess is the heat was probably too high. I remember putting the dough in for less than a minute and the colour turned dark brown at an instant! Furthermore, it was splitting open and all.
Brought the fire down and that seemed to solve the problem!
I've made a few versions - in ball forms, under-fried, over-fried, with brown sugar, etc... Do whatever you want, let your creativity go wild! I love the burst of sweet and cinnamony taste combination with every crunch of goodness. My preferred version is slightly crispy on the outside, yet chewy on the inside.
As much as I enjoyed eating, I cherished the hard work during the process even more. :)
Alright, now my mouth is itching for churros again.