Equipment
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 5 g ground cinnamon
Churro Dough
- 250 ml water
- 50 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 4 g salt
- 150 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 egg, beaten
Frying
- 1000 ml sunflower oil
Chocolate a la Taza (Thick Dipping Sauce)
- 250 ml whole milk
- 15 g cornstarch
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 100 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 96 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 90 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 14 mg
- Potassium
- 49 mg
- Calcium
- 19 mg
- Iron
- 0.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 9 mg
- Phosphorus
- 29 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 22 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.03 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 22 g
- Caffeine
- 2 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a shallow dish, thoroughly whisk together the 100g of granulated sugar and the ground cinnamon for the coating. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the water, cubed butter, 15g of sugar, and 4g of salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the sifted flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Transfer the dough to a heatproof mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add the beaten egg and beat vigorously until the dough is entirely smooth and glossy.
Transfer the prepared dough to a sturdy piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Press the dough down firmly to eliminate any trapped air bubbles.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the sunflower oil to 190 Celsius / 375 Fahrenheit. Maintain this temperature carefully.
Holding the piping bag directly over the hot oil, carefully pipe 15cm lengths of dough into the oil. Use kitchen scissors to snip the dough off at the nozzle. Fry only 4 to 5 churros at a time to prevent the oil temperature from dropping.
Remove the churros using a spider skimmer, letting excess oil drip off for a few seconds, then immediately transfer them to the cinnamon sugar mixture. Toss to coat evenly.
To make the chocolate sauce, whisk the milk and cornstarch together in a clean saucepan until completely smooth and free of lumps. Add the sugar.
Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken. Remove from heat, add the chopped dark chocolate and salt, and stir until completely melted and velvety smooth.
Serve the warm, freshly tossed churros immediately alongside the warm chocolate dipping sauce.
Chef's Notes
- The star nozzle is not just for the classic appearance; it is a critical safety measure. The ridges create more surface area and allow internal steam to vent, preventing the churros from bursting in the hot oil.
- Do not let the churros cool before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar. The sugar relies on the trace amounts of hot surface oil to adhere properly.
- If your chocolate sauce gets too thick as it cools, you can whisk in a tablespoon of warm milk at a time until it reaches your desired dipping consistency.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the chocolate sauce in an airtight container. Churros do not refrigerate well.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze uncooked piped churros on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag. Fry directly from frozen, adding 2 minutes to cook time.
Reheating: Reheat churros in a 200C oven for 5 minutes. Reheat chocolate sauce on the stove over low heat, whisking until smooth.
Troubleshooting
Churros are raw or doughy on the inside but dark on the outside
Cause: The frying oil temperature is too high, causing the exterior to burn before the heat penetrates the center
Fix: Transfer undercooked churros to an oven preheated to 180 Celsius for 5 minutes to finish cooking the interior
Prevention: Use a deep fry thermometer and constantly monitor to ensure the oil stays steadily at 190 Celsius
Churros explode or pop violently in the hot oil
Cause: Using a round piping tip instead of a star tip, or having large trapped air bubbles in the dough
Fix: Unfixable. Discard improperly piped dough and ensure a star tip is attached.
Prevention: Always use a star nozzle to create ridges that allow steam to escape safely. Pack dough tightly into the bag.
Piping bag tears or bursts while extruding dough
Cause: The dough is too stiff and the bag material is too weak
Fix: Transfer remaining dough to a stronger bag, or double up two disposable bags
Prevention: Use a canvas or thick silicone piping bag, and ensure the dough has been beaten properly with the egg until smooth
Cultural Context
Churros are a quintessential element of Spanish culinary culture, traditionally consumed for breakfast or as an early morning snack after a long night out. The accompanying Chocolate a la Taza is uniquely Spanish: thickened with cornstarch rather than being a thin drinking cocoa, it is specifically designed to cling to the ridges of a freshly fried churro.
