Churros with Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

• 240 ml (1 cup) Water
• 57 g (2 oz) Butter
• 1 tbsp Sugar, for the dough
• ¼ tsp Fine salt
• 140 g (5 oz) Plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1600 ml (6¾ cups) Neutral oil, for deep frying, in a deep, heavy pot of at least 5 litres (5.3 US quarts)
• 85 g (3 oz) Sugar, for coating
• 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 115 g (4 oz) Dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 120 ml (½ cup) Double (heavy) cream, for the sauce
• 1 tbsp Sugar, for the sauce

You’ll need: Deep, heavy pot, at least 5 litres (5.3 US quarts), Deep-fry or oil thermometer, Strong piping bag with large star nozzle, Spider or long tongs, Kitchen scissors

Method

1. 1

   Make the dough. Put the water, butter, 1 tbsp sugar and salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil, stirring until the butter melts. Take it off the heat, add all the flour at once and beat hard with a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth ball that leaves the sides of the pot.

2. 2

   Cool and enrich. Leave the dough to cool for 5 minutes, so it will not scramble the egg. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Spoon the dough into a strong piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. A thin bag can burst, so use a sturdy one.

3. 3

   Prepare the coating and sauce. Mix the coating sugar and cinnamon on a wide plate. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream and 1 tbsp sugar in a small pot until it just begins to steam at the edges, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Keep it warm.

4. 4

   Heat the oil. Use a deep, heavy pot of at least 5 litres (5.3 US quarts) and pour in the 1.6 litres (6 3/4 cups) of oil, so that it comes no more than one-third of the way up the sides. Dry everything that goes into the oil. Heat over medium heat to 180°C (350°F), checking with a thermometer. Never leave hot oil unattended, and keep a lid nearby to smother any flames. Do not use water on an oil fire.

5. 5

   Pipe and fry. Hold the bag steady just above the surface of the oil, with the nozzle pointing away from you. Pipe 3 or 4 lengths of dough roughly as long as a finger, snipping each with scissors close to the nozzle so it drops in gently; do not hold the bag over the oil for long, as the heat can soften it. If you prefer, pipe onto baking paper first (see swap) and lower the pieces in with a spider or long tongs. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden. Watch the temperature and adjust the heat to hold it near 180°C (350°F).

6. 6

   Drain and coat. Lift the churros out with a slotted spoon or tongs onto paper towels for 20 seconds, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar while warm. Fry the remaining dough in batches and serve warm with the chocolate sauce for dipping.