TEST KITCHEN'S FAVORITE CHURROS

Test Kitchen's Favorite Churros image

Transform pate a choux, a French batter typically used to make cream puffs and crullers, into the beloved Spanish pastries known as churros. Pipe the dough into loops, fry in hot oil, and toss in cinnamon sugar. And don't forget the chocolate sauce for dipping!

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

Time 1h5m

Yield Makes 20

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 to 5 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (1 cup)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Vegetable, peanut, or safflower oil, for frying (about 8 cups)
Vegetable-oil cooking spray

Steps:

Combine butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in flour. Return to medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides and a film forms on bottom of pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating until a soft peak forms when you touch batter and pull your finger away. (If a peak does not form, lightly beat remaining egg, and mix into batter, a little at a time, until it does.) Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip (such as Ateco #9824).
Heat cream in a small pot over medium-high heat until bubbling around edges, about 2 minutes. Pour over chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk vanilla and 1 teaspoon cinnamon into sauce.
Pour oil into a large, deep, heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, until it reaches 2 inches up side, leaving about 2 1/2 inches headroom. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to pot and heat oil over medium to 350 degrees to 360 degrees. Cut 20 four-inch squares of parchment. Spray two baking sheets with oil. Arrange parchment pieces in a single layer on them; spray parchment.
Pipe 2 1/2-inch ribbon-shaped loops onto parchment squares. Working in batches of 3 so as not to crowd pot, carefully drop parchment with dough into hot oil, removing parchment immediately with tongs as each is added, and cook, flipping a few times, until puffed and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes total, maintaining oil temperature between 350 degrees and 360 degrees at all times. Transfer to wire racks; let cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together remaining 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. While still slightly warm, toss churros in cinnamon sugar and serve immediately, with chocolate sauce alongside.