Churros
Churros are one of my favourite South American desserts, just the smell of them brings me back to the outside of my middle school. Whether they are filled or dipped, with chocolate or dulce de leche, they are simply a delight.
In a medium pot, mix 2 cups of water, 5 tablespoons of white sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, and ¼ teaspoon each of cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and vanilla extract. Put it on medium heat and bring to a boil.
Once it boils, remove from heat and add the flour. Using a sturdy wooden spoon and a fair amount of elbow grease, mix it vigorously until it becomes a smooth ball of dough that easily peels off the pot.
Now, for the tricky part, you have three options: Piping bag with a decorating tip, a regular zip top bag, or simply roll into coils with your hands. The decorating tip will give you the prettiest results, but if you`re like us, you don`t necessarily have one at hand.
Heat up a medium metal pot or large skillet of oil to 375F, or use a deep-fryer at 375F if you have one. Keep the temperature around this mark for the whole time, watch it closely and regulate as you go.
The piping bag and the zip top bag work the same way; Put the dough inside, tighten the top and cut a 1 cm hole on one of the edges (or add a piping tip). Squeeze them from the top of the bag straight into the oil and cut with a knife once you`re satisfied with the size. When cutting them, cut from a lower height so you don`t burn yourself with hot oil.
If making coils, simply grab a piece of the dough and roll on a clean surface using both your hands until you reach your desired size. Add them to the oil slowly to avoid splatter.
Regardless of the method you use to form them, only add 3-4 long ones or up to 6 short churros at a time, as to not overcrowd the pan and prevent them from sticking together. Fry them until they are golden brown and immediately place them on a plate with paper towels. This will soak up most of the grease and make sure they`re crispier.
Toss the churros in a mix of 2 parts sugar and 1 part cinnamon.
If you don`t have store-bought Dulce de Leche, you can make it quickly in a small pan. Add ½ cup of sugar to it and let it heat up in medium heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Let it get darker.
Once the sugar caramelizes into a dark colour, add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream and a pinch of salt and stir vigorously until all the caramel is incorporated into the cream. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to reduce it lightly while still stirring and remove from heat. Let it cool and serve with the churros.
Churros
Servings: 24 Churros
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 Cups Water
5 Tbsp White Sugar
1 tsp Salt
4 Tbsp + 1 tsp Vegetable Oil
2 Cups Flour
¼ tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Nutmeg
¼ tsp All Spice or Ground Cloves
¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
Oil for Frying
Sugar and Cinnamon for Topping
Dulce de Leche
Step-by-Step
1. In a medium pot, mix water, sugar, salt, oil, vanilla and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice) and bring to a boil. Once it boils, remove from heat ad add flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until it`s fully mixed and a ball is formed.
2. Put the dough in a piping bag with a decorating tip (or a zip top bag, or even just roll into long coils with your hands).
3. Heat a large pot of oil to 375F (or use a deep fryer) and add about 3-4 churros at a time. Fry them until they`re golden brown and place them on top of a paper towel.
4. Once the churros have been on the paper towel for at least 2 minutes, toss them in sugar and cinnamon and serve with dulce de leche.
Dulce de Leche
Servings: ¾ Cup
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
½ Cup Sugar
3 Tbsp Heavy Cream
Pinch of Salt
Step-by-Step
1. Add the sugar to a medium pan on medium heat. Let it become a caramel colour and immediately add the heavy cream and pinch of salt. Stir vigorously until the sugar dissolves into the cream and cook for another 3 minutes, still stirring. Let cool and serve.