Churros
The secret to a proper churro isn't the dough, but the texture of the fry. You want a sharp crunch against the teeth that gives way to a soft, steamed interior.
Watch the temperature of the fat.
If the oil is too cold, the churros will be heavy and oily; if it is too hot, they will burn before the inside finishes cooking.
- Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- Thermometer
- Star-tipped piping bag
- Spider skimmer
- Wire cooling rack
What goes in.
- 1 cupwater
- 2 tbspgranulated sugar
- 1/2 tspkosher salt
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 1 cupall-purpose flour
- 2large eggs
- 1 qtneutral oil for frying (grapeseed or canola)
- 1/2 cupsugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon for coating
Cooking the base
You must cook the flour and water mixture over medium heat until it forms a thin film on the bottom of the pot. This dries out the starch so it can properly absorb the eggs later.
The method.
Boil base
Combine water, sugar, salt, and butter in a pot. Bring to a rolling boil until the butter is fully melted.
Add flour
Remove from heat. Dump in the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a ball forms.
Incorporate eggs
Move the dough to a bowl. Let it cool for 3 minutes, then beat in eggs one at a time. The dough will look like it is separating at first, but keep mixing until it is smooth and glossy.
Fry
Heat oil to 360°F (180°C). Pipe 6-inch lengths of dough directly into the oil using kitchen shears to cut the end. Fry until dark golden brown, turning once.
Coat
Remove with the spider skimmer and drop immediately into the cinnamon-sugar mix while still hot.
Other turns to take.
Filled Churros
Pipe the dough into straight, shorter sticks rather than loops. After frying and cooling, use a thin skewer to hollow the center and pipe in dulce de leche or chocolate ganache.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a metal piping tip. Plastic tips can melt or lose their shape under the pressure of the thick dough.
Test your oil temperature with a small piece of dough before committing to a full batch.
Do not crowd the pot. Frying more than three or four at a time drops the oil temperature too quickly.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my churros burst in the fryer?
Usually, this happens because of large air pockets in the dough or trapped moisture. Press the dough firmly into the piping bag to remove air bubbles before you start.
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