Crisp Cinnamon-Sugar Churros

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A choux-style churro dough — flour cooked into hot water and butter, then beaten with eggs — piped straight into 350°F oil so the ridges puff and set crisp instead of soaking up grease. Five per person, tossed in cinnamon sugar the second they come out, with a two-ingredient chocolate dip if you want it. Cheaper than a drive-thru order and about 30 minutes start to finish.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 6 cups neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions

1. Whisk the 3/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a wide shallow dish or pie plate and set it next to the stove. Line a plate or sheet pan with paper towels.
2. Pour the oil into a heavy 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven or deep saucepan — it should come up 2 to 2 1/2 inches and leave at least 3 inches of clearance at the top. Clip on a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer and heat over medium to 350°F. This takes 8 to 12 minutes; start the dough while it heats.
3. Combine the water, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a full boil, stirring until the butter melts completely.
4. Dump in the flour all at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon. The mixture will look shaggy, then pull together into a smooth ball. Keep stirring and pressing it against the pan for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan and the dough smells faintly toasty.
5. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and stir it for 1 minute to release steam — it should drop to warm-not-hot, about 140°F, before the eggs go in. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on medium until each is fully absorbed. The finished dough should be glossy, thick, and just barely fall from the spoon in a heavy ribbon.
6. Scrape the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (about 1/2 inch across, such as an Ateco 824 or Wilton 1M). Twist the top closed. If you don't have a bag, use a sturdy zip-top bag with a star tip pushed through a snipped corner.
7. Check the oil: it must read 350°F. Hold the bag a few inches above the surface and pipe a 5-inch length of dough directly into the oil, cutting it free with kitchen scissors dipped in oil. Pipe 4 or 5 churros per batch, no more — crowding drops the oil temperature and makes them greasy.
8. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once with tongs or a spider, until deep golden brown and firm to the tap, 5 to 6 minutes total. If the oil falls below 340°F the churros will absorb oil and look pale; nudge the heat up. If it climbs past 365°F they will darken before the inside sets — pull the pot off the burner for 30 seconds. Let the oil return to 350°F between every batch.
9. Lift the churros out, let them drain for 10 seconds, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar while still glistening — the coating only sticks when they're hot. Move to the paper towels and repeat with the remaining dough; you should get about 20 churros.
10. For the sauce, put the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream just to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate, wait 1 minute, then whisk smooth with a pinch of salt. Serve the churros within 20 minutes, five per person, with the warm chocolate for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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