Churros fáciles con chocolate caliente

Ingredients

• 67 ggranulated sugar
• 8 gground cinnamon
• 240 mlwater
• 113 gunsalted butter
• 1.25 mlsalt
• 180 gplain flour
• 3 largeeggs
• for fryingvegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix cinnamon sugar

   Whisk the sugar and ground cinnamon together in a small baking dish, then set aside.

2. 2

   Heat butter water

   Put the water, butter and salt in a saucepan. Stir over a medium-high heat until the butter has melted, then turn the heat down to low.

3. 3

   Make the dough

   Add the flour and stir with a spatula until a dough forms. Take the pan off the heat, transfer the dough to a bowl and leave it to cool.

4. 4

   Add the eggs

   Whisk the eggs into the dough one at a time, either by hand in a bowl or using a stand mixer, until smooth. It may look crumbly at first; keep mixing until it comes together.

5. 5

   Heat the oil

   Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat until it reaches 163°C.

6. 6

   Fill the piping bag

   While the oil heats, spoon the dough into a large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.

7. 7

   Pipe and fry

   Pipe 15 cm strips of dough into the hot oil and fry until golden, about 1–2 minutes on each side. Use scissors to snip each strip from the piping bag as it goes into the oil.

8. 8

   Drain and coat

   Take care not to overcrowd the pan; fry about 3–4 churros at a time. Drain them on a plate lined with kitchen paper, then toss in the cinnamon sugar.

9. 9

   Serve the churros

   Serve with Spanish hot chocolate, chocolate sauce or dulce de leche.

What are churros?

Churros are fried strips of dough enjoyed in Spain, often with thick hot chocolate for dipping. Their ridged shape comes from piping the dough through a star nozzle.

This version uses a cooked flour-and-butter dough enriched with eggs. The contrast of a crisp outside, soft centre and cinnamon sugar makes them especially good served fresh.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 94 calories, 2g protein, 11g carbs, 5g fat.

The flour and sugar provide most of the carbohydrates, while butter and frying oil contribute most of the fat; the eggs add some protein. Pair a serving with fruit or a less rich drink if you want a more balanced plate.

Building the dough

Cooked base: stirring the flour into the hot water and butter forms a firm dough before the eggs go in. Let it cool before adding them so they mix into the dough rather than cooking on contact.

Eggs: add them individually and keep mixing between additions. The dough can look uneven at first, but continued whisking brings it together.

Piping safely

Star nozzle: a large star tip gives the churros their ridged surface. Fill the piping bag with a manageable amount of dough so it is easier to control.

Hot oil: pipe carefully and snip each strip with scissors. Leave room around each churro and cook only about 3–4 at a time, as the recipe directs.

Getting the texture right

Golden colour: fry each strip for about 1–2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper before coating.

Fresh coating: toss the churros in cinnamon sugar after draining so it clings to their warm surfaces. Serve soon after frying for the best contrast between crisp edges and a soft middle.

The cinnamon sugar

Even mix: whisk the sugar and cinnamon together before frying, breaking up any clumps. A small, shallow dish makes it easier to roll the churros through the mixture.

Coating: turn each drained churro in the mixture while it is still warm. Shake off any excess before serving.

What to serve with them

Hot chocolate: Spanish-style hot chocolate is the traditional partner, served thick for dipping. The recipe also suggests chocolate sauce or dulce de leche as alternatives.

Serve the churros as soon as they are coated. Keep the dip alongside so each piece can be dipped just before eating.

Recipe notes & tips

• Let the cooked flour dough cool before whisking in the eggs.
• Add the eggs one at a time and keep mixing if the dough looks crumbly.
• Use a star nozzle to create ridged churros.
• Snip piped strips with scissors as they enter the oil.
• Fry in batches of about 3–4 so the pan is not crowded.
• Drain the churros before coating them in cinnamon sugar.

Variations

• Hot chocolate: serve with thick Spanish-style hot chocolate for dipping.
• Chocolate sauce: use the sauce suggested in the recipe as an alternative dip.
• Dulce de leche: offer it alongside the churros in place of chocolate.
• Plain sugar: leave out the cinnamon for a simpler sweet coating.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Adding eggs to hot dough: let the dough cool first so the eggs do not cook as they are mixed in.
• Stopping when the dough looks crumbly: keep whisking until it becomes smooth.
• Crowding the pan: fry about 3–4 churros at a time to leave space around them.
• Skipping the star nozzle: fit a star tip to give the churros their characteristic ridges.
• Coating before draining: let excess oil drain on kitchen paper, then toss in cinnamon sugar.

How to store

Churros are best eaten freshly fried. If needed, keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day and reheat briefly in an oven until warm; they will not be as crisp as when freshly made.

Frequently asked questions