Week Four: Churros!

I'm off to Barcelona!  I'm heading off next weekend so this week's challenge could only be churros!

I have made churros before, so I was at a little bit of an advantage (and I've eaten churros many times before!) but my churros have never looked pretty so that was my aim this week.  Also, presentation is an issue for me as a baker and I often feel my bakes taste wonderful but look 'informal' as Mary would say!

Full recipe here - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2459641/churros-with-chocolate-dipping-sauce 


Ingredients

• 50g butter
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
  , melted
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• about 1 litre sunflower oil
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• few chunks of bread

For the sauce

• 200g bar dark chocolate, not too bitter, broken into chunks
• 100ml double cream
• 100ml whole milk
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• ½ tsp vanilla extract, if you have some

For the cinnamon sugar

• 100g caster sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Method

Step One: Make the Churros
Mix the butter and vanilla extract with 350ml boiling water.  Sift the flour and baking powder together and add a pinch of salt.  Then make a well and mix the wet and dry ingredients together quickly with a wooden spoon until smoooooooooth!  Leave to rest while you make the sauce.

Step Two: Make the Sauce
Easy peasy - melt all the ingredients together, either in the microwave, a bain-marie or in a saucepan.  I melted mine in a saucepan on the hob because the cream spreads the heat and ensures the chocolate doesn't burn.  

Step Three: Pipe the Churros
I tried piping butterfly churros - it did not work!  Too complex a shape.  So I went for party rings instead ;) I drew small circles onto baking paper.  I didn't have a round cutter so I drew round my baking powder pot!  Then I piped my ring-shaped churros using a star nozzle.  Finally, I chopped the baking paper into squares so that each churro ring was sitting on its own personal magic carpet!

Step Four: Cook the Churros
Fill a deep saucepan about 1/3 full of oil.  Heat the oil until a small piece of bread cooks in about 1 min.  Cover a tray with kitchen paper ready for your churros.  Using a slotted spoon, place your churros and baking paper into the oil.  (You can probably do 3-4 at a time)  After about a minute, flip the churros and paper.  The paper should come off and you can drag it out with the slotted spoon.  Drain the churros rings on the paper.  Once you've cooked them all, dip them in sugar and enjoy with the chocolate sauce!

My score: 5/5 super easy and quick!  Loved the piping - took them to the next level!  Absolutely delicious!

Julia's Top Tips

• Watch the churros carefully when cooking.  They need to be a deep golden brown.  If they are not cooked long enough they will be doughy.  If they are cooked too long they will be oily.
• Keep your design simple!  Circles work well, hearts etc...
• Maybe try flavouring the dough?  I think orange essence would be DELISH
• Try different dipping sauces,  Salted caramel, white chocolate, raspberry cream cheese... the options are endless!