Still a foodie.: Churros

Cinnamon and chocolate do not seem likely partners in a delicious treat. In 1984 traveling in Mexico, I was treated to a rich, velvety cup of Mexican hot chocolate with a churro for dipping. A churro is a long fried pastry that is coated in sugar and cinnamon. I recall the grainy texture of the sugar sliding down my throat helped along with velvety chocolate, while watching all the people scurry on their way along the avenue that connected us to the large zocolo or main square that was central to everything in Mexico city. I hadn't had this treat in a long time when my sister, home for the holidays said, "Let's make churros." I was up for the challenge, but I never thought it would be so easy to make. We began by making a lovely, simple syrup consisting of water, brown sugar, and butter; bringing it to a rolling boil. After a few minutes, we removed it from the heat and added our flour. Stirring the dough, thick and sticky, it finally came together forming a stiff ball that was just beautiful, rich looking. In a separate bowl, we had mixed together egg and vanilla. We then added this to the dough stirring again until the egg mixture was incorporated into the dough. At this point the dough was amazing to look at; it just looked like we had spent hours preparing this thing that really only had taken moments to get it to this stage. Next we heated our oil. I didn't have a tool that is traditionally used that pipes out the dough in the form of a star pattern, so I improvised by using a zip lock bag as a stand in for a pastry bag. After the long, one-inch diameter pastries were brown on each side, we pulled them from the oil. While still hot, we immersed them in a sugar and cinnamon coating. Sara and I were so impressed with ourselves that we had pulled this off; we sampled our work. I was blown away with the almost custard flavor and texture that we experienced after bitting into the crisp, fried crust. But, it didn't end there. Sara had wanted to make a variation on banana's foster that she had recently with friends in South Carolina. She used the churros as a foundation for bananas broiled in butter topping them with caramel, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. It was incredible tasting and was really a desert that was the melding of two memories and an opportunity for us to share with one another experiences that we had not been able to share together. It made for a wonderful ending to a dinner ushering in the new year. This is definitely a desert you want to experience if you love texture. The custard texture of the inside of the churro and the broiled banana were meant to be. The chocolate and cinnamon give that velvet, grit that recalls that afternoon in an open air cafe.

If you are interested in recreating this follow this link for the churro recipe, http://www.cooking-mexican-recipes.com/churro-recipe.html

Here is the actual recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter
1 cup white flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, depending on taste

Directions:

Preheat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of vegetable oil in a 10 to 12 inch frying pan to 375 degrees F. In a separate dish mix the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

In a 3 qt. sauce pan add the water, brown sugar, salt, and butter and heat to a good boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour. Stirring in the flour will take some muscle. Mix it in until well blended.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and vanilla together and then add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until well blended and all the egg is completely mixed in.

Fill your decorating tool with the churro recipe dough and attach the largest star tip you have.

Test your oil by placing a small amount of dough in it. The dough should bubble up right away or that means the oil is not hot enough and a soggy churro is on the way.

Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze some dough (with decorator) into the oil about 4 inches long. I used my finger to release the dough from the decorator. Careful not to burn yourself. churros www.cooking-mexican-recipes.com You should be able to cook 4 or 5 churros at a time. Cook them about 1 minute and turn them over with a slotted spoon. Cook an additional minute or two. You're looking for that nice golden brown color.