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Fried light dough shaped like a teardrop outline dunked into thick bittersweet chocolate in little espresso cups — this is the churros I was used to. I love these, but they seem impossible to find. Whenever I order churros here it’s always the big brown ones drowning in cinnamon sugar that make my teeth hurt just looking at them. Where’s my chocolate? Where’s the simplicity of my fried dough and enjoying the flavor of rich cacao? Nowhere to be found! I guess I am reacting the same way as carbonara purists react to their beloved spaghetti alla carbonara being cooked with cream.

I don’t think I would ever find this here, so Fine, I’ll make it. And this will be the death of me because I will keep eating them. You know what else? They remind me so much of Sunday brunches with my parents after church, which I looked forward to [well not only because of the churros]. :-)

I was surprised at how easy they were to make. I’ve always been intimidated with dough, but I’m slowly overcoming my kitchen fears. And my taste buds are happier for it. And I’m sure your taste buds will thank me for churros with chocolate. Try it!

Oh, but before you do, a li’l plug for those who haven’t voted yet [thanks for those who voted for us!] –

Please register and Vote for Gourmeted between February 4 and 8. Won’t you please, please — vote for the newbie on the block?
We’ll all have a chance to win a trip to Napa Valley for the annual Death by Chocolate Festival. We’ll take you there with pictures and send you postcards from beautiful Napa, if you want. ;-)
It’s a win-win situation! What are you waiting for? Go vote!



The Churros
[adapted from Dean Derhak's recipe]

Ingredients: (Makes one plateful)

  • Vegetable or Olive Oil [I used vegetable oil. I've also seen another recipe using sunflower oil, which I think I'll use next time]
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup margarine or butter [I'm from the butter camp!]
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1. Prepare to fry the churros by heating oil in a pan (1 to 1&1/2 inches) to 360°F.

2. To make churro dough, heat water, margarine and salt to rolling boil in 3-quart saucepan; stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Beat eggs all at once; continue beating until smooth and then add to saucepan while stirring mixture.

3. Spoon mixture into cake decorators’ tube with large star tip (like the kind use to decorate cakes). [I used this cookie press with the star-shaped tip.] Squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into hot oil. If you can, try making them into tear drop shapes.

4. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. (Mix Sugar and the optional cinnamon); roll churros in sugar or dump the sugar on the pile of churros, like the pros. That churro taste will take you right back to your favorite summer days walking the paseos of Spain.

Note: REAL churros in Spain are made without cinnamon mixed with the sugar, but the cinnamon adds an extra nice flavor.

Chocolate for Churro Dunking

  • 3.5 oz dark chocolate, chopped [I used and highly recommend Green & Black's organic dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids]
  • 1 3/4cups milk
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch (also known as cornflour and is the powder that causes the thickening)
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom (optional — I thought I’d add this for a little spice)
  • 4 tbsp sugar [Honestly, I forgot to put sugar in mine!!! But it still tasted gooood.]

1. Place the chocolate and half the milk in a pan and heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted.

2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about five minutes. Add extra cornstarch if it doesn’t start to thicken after 5 minutes.

3. Remove and whisk smooth. Pour and server in cups or bowls for dunking churros. Do not pour over churros, but use the mix for dunking churros after every bite. Served warm.

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