Churros with Espresso Chocolate Sauce

"The best kind of people are the ones that come into your life, and make you see the sun where you once saw clouds. The people that believe in you so much, you start to believe it too. The people that love you, simply for being you. The once in a lifetime kind of people." As relatively mild as this winter has been thus far (and technically we aren't even thirty days into it), I am already eagerly anticipating the return of sunny sky, warm weather days. And if by some chance spring comes early and summer comes even earlier, I promise to whine less about the heat and humidity. For someone who has a bit an aversion to intolerable heat, it is almost shocking that I have started going to hot yoga classes several times a week. Even more surprising is how much I really like how challenging these sixty minute classes are. Who would not love going to and being motivated by classes guided by the mantras 'it's about progress not perfection' and 'you are stronger than you believe'? Rather than regret having lived a long yoga free life, I am incredibly grateful it is now a part of it. And quite possibly even more beholden to the group of friends to share these experiences with me. Friends not just there for support but also there to push me into becoming a better version of myself. Does it get any better than that?

If one ever needed a single reason to travel to Spain, it might just be to eat breakfast. More specifically a decadent by American standards breakfast of churros dipped in warm chocolate or dulce de leche. Although if you happen to live in or visit New Orleans, beignets would definitely fall into this hedonistic breakfast food category. The universal obsession and love for fried dough extends back centuries. Like many foods, the history of churros reveals their origin to have been claimed by multiple countries. From Nomadic Spanish shephards, to Portuguese sailors, to the Chinese, the churro was ultimately was brought to Latin American by the conquistadors. Undergoing a myriad of variations, the one we have come to know, crave, and love here in the states are typically finished with a dusting of a cinnamon infused sugar and served out of a paper bag with or without a side of chocolate.

For those of us who have never traveled to Spain, Portugal, or Mexico, our first exposure to churros was probably at a carnival, fairground, Disneyland, or at a Cinco de Mayo party. Which may have led us to falsely believe they belonged in the categories of either snack foods or dessert. To think that my Spanish and Portuguese peers grew up eating churros with chocolate while I was given a bowl of oatmeal to eat for breakfast, makes me think my childhood was slightly deprived.

In researching churro recipes I discovered some use water, others use milk; some use white granulated sugar, others use light brown sugar; some opt for a 1 to 1 egg to flour ratio, others use 1.5 go 1 ratio; and, some use a non-specified type of salt, others use sea salt in the making of the dough. There were a number of ingredient variations, although the techniques were more alike than different. With one exception, the temperature of the oil for frying the churros. But More on that later. I vacillated between using water and milk, but in the end went with milk to create a churro with a bit more richness and texture. Less of a conundrum was the egg decision. I went with 3 eggs, or the 1.5 to 1 egg to flour ratio. The idea of using brown sugar didn't appeal to me, deciding that if both the dough and cinnamon-sugar coating were made with granulated sugar the churro would be balanced inside and out.  On my last visit with a friend in Arizona I picked up a bag of salt from the Sea of Cortez. But had I not had this salt, I would have used the flaky Maldon sea salt. Once all of my churro ingredient decisions were made, I was finally ready to make them.

While the traditional Spanish version isn't covered in sugar, this one is. One cup of granulated sugar and one Tablespoon of cinnamon makes the perfect cinnamon-sugar coating. Make the cinnamon-sugar and set aside before you begin working on your dough.

If you have every made Choux Pastry for profiteroles, beignets, or eclairs before, then making the churro dough will feel very comfortable you. If you have never made it before, you will discover how relatively simple it is. Choux pastry uses the power of steam to puff up, whether it comes from an oven, boiling water, or hot oil. It has no special leavening agents, it's simply make with water or milk, butter, flour, salt, sugar, and eggs.

For these churros, the milk, sugar, salt, and cinnamon stick were brought to a boil, then removed from the heat to allow for the infusion of the cinnamon into the liquid mixture. After the cinnamon stick is removed, the liquid mixture is brought back to a boil again. Immediately after removing the pan from the heat the flour is added all at once. Using a sturdy wooden spoon and using your arm muscles, you rapidly stir the flour into the liquid until the mixture is smooth and the flour is no longer visible. At this point transfer the dough to a large bowl or to your standing mixer bowl and allow it to rest for 10 minutes to allow some of the dough's heat to dissipate. If you don't give it this necessary cooling down period, you might scramble your eggs when you add them in.

I used a hand mixer to beat in each of the eggs (one at a time) versus a wooden spoon (my arms would have never made it) versus a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Next time I might opt for the standing mixer, as the dough liked to creep up the beaters on my handheld mixer.

The dough is now ready to be transferred to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. I used an open star tip (Ateco 828) have a .63 inch opening. For a slightly thinner churro you could use a tip with a .5 inch opening (Ateco 826). Some believe a closed star tip with these same dimensions gives the churro more defined ridges. Whichever tip you use, pipe the dough into six inch lengths onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with a vegetable oil (a tip, no pun intended, from the SmittenKitchen). Some churro recipes will have you pipe the dough directly into the heated oil, but being a churro making novice, I wasn't quite ready to test my dough piping abilities. But honestly, I don't even know if I ever want to. The idea of having all of the dough piped out before frying seemed like a pure genius one.

While you are piping the dough, pour the vegetable oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches in a shallow (versus deep) cast iron pan or Dutch oven and heat to 350 to 360 degrees (F). As a side note, most churro recipes called for heating the oil anywhere between 350 degrees (F) to 400 degrees (F). My oil hovered at or slightly above 360 degrees resulting in a cooking time of anywhere between 4 and 5 minutes. Each batch had no more than 4 churros (the dough sticks liked to gravitate toward one another in the hot oil). Once the churros reach a deep golden brown color, they remove from the hot oil with a spider spatula and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Note: I could have set the oven at a low temperature, 200 degrees (F) and placed the baking sheet in the oven to keep the cooked churros warm while frying up the remaining batches, but I didn't. If I was entertaining I would have.

While still warm, the churros are rolled in the cinnamon sugar. When completely engulfed in this added layer of deliciousness, transfer to a serving platter.

These Churros with Espresso Chocolate Sauce were seriously, dangerously, crunchy, sweet, doughy bites of deliciousness. Even without dipping them into the Espresso Chocolate Sauce, they are sinful. Although don't let me at all suggest you opt out of serving them with the sauce. Shudder the thought.

If there was for chocolate sauce to have an even greater 'wow' factor it would be to add some sea salt and espresso powder to it. I like the stove top method of making this sauce. After heating the cream on the stove until it barely comes to a boil (tiny bubbles will line the edges of the pan), remove from the heat and add in the chocolate, sea salt, and espresso powder. Let sit for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir until the sauce is smooth. Use any leftover sauce to pour over ice cream.

Churros are meant to be enjoyed while still warm. But it's possible you can make the chocolate espresso sauce and pipe out the sticks of dough ahead of time. You can always rewarm the sauce on the stove. Your tray of churro dough sticks can be lightly covered and put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before you are ready to fry them.

We all need to churros in our lives. If mothers all across Spain have managed to make a batch of churros for breakfast, I suppose we should be able to pull off this feat for a gathering or dinner party! Just remind yourself you can do anything you put your mind to or heart into. Or just pretend it's breakfast time somewhere! 

Recipe
Churros with Espresso Chocolate Sauce (slight adaptation to Serious Eats Churros with Chocolate-Dulce de Leche Dip Recipe)
Makes 16-18 six inch churros

Ingredients
Churros
8 cups or 2 quarts of vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups whole milk, room temperature
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, room temperature

Cinnamon Sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Espresso Chocolate Sauce
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 - 3/4  teaspoon instant espresso

Directions
Churros and Cinnamon Sugar
1. Line one baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Line a second large baking with parchment paper or a silpat and lightly spray with vegetable oil and set aside.
2. Fit a large pastry bag with a pastry tip (recommend .5 inch to .63 inch star tip, open or closed). Set aside.
3. In a deep bowl or pan, combine one cup of sugar with one tablespoon of cinnamon. Stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Begin heating vegetable oil in a cast iron pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 350-360 degrees (F) on a deep-fat thermometer. Note: Oil should have a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Note: If this is the first time you are making the churros, begin heating the oil when you start piping the dough onto a prepared baking sheet.
4. Bring milk, butter, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla and a cinnamon stick to a boil over medium-high heat in large heavy bottomed saucepan. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes to allow the cinnamon to infuse flavor into the milk.
5. Remove cinnamon stick. Return saucepan to heat and bring back to a boil. Turn off heat and immediately add flour. Beat vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms.
6. Transfer the dough to a large bowl or bowl of a standing mixer. Let dough cool for 10 minutes. 
7. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated.
8. Scrape dough into the prepared pastry bag. Pipe dough into 6 inch long strips onto the prepared parchment paper lined baking sheet.
9. Fry churros in batches of 4 to 5 for 3 to 4 minutes (or 4 to 5 minutes if using a wider pastry tip) or until they are deep golden brown. Remove with a spider spatula and place on paper towel lined baking sheet. Note: Place pan in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while continue to fry the remaining churros
10. Roll churros in the cinnamon sugar mixture while they are still warm. 
11. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with the Espresso Chocolate Sauce.

Espresso Chocolate Sauce
1. In a small pan heat whipping cream until it almost comes to a boil (look for tiny bubbles along the edges of the pan). 
2. Remove from heat and add chocolate, sea salt and espresso powder. Let sit for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Stir until sauce is smooth.

Notes: (1) Churros can also be formed into circles, hearts, or S-shapes. (2) Pipe out dough on a prepared baking sheet, lightly cover, and refrigerate for a couple of hours ahead of time. Remove from the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before putting into the hot oil.