A Valentine’s Day Approved Churro 

Everyone that knows me can agree on one thing…I love churros. They are a perfect little delight of a treat. I’ve been wanting to experiment with making homemade churros for some time, but the idea of frying something always intimidated me. But when I thought of what I would like to eat with my lover (or parents, whatever) on Valentine’s Day, churros just seemed too irresistible.

I found the recipe for these bite-sized churros on the internet. They came out perfectly the first time, with small adjustments here and there. This recipe suggests using a store-bought chocolate sauce to dip or top the churros in, but I decided to make my own. Homemade is always better in my opinion! And I must add, I was surprised by how easy frying the dough was.

Ingredients for Churros:
-1/2 cup of milk
-1/2 cup of water
-3 Tbsp of butter, diced
-2 tsp granulated sugar
-3/8 (or 1/4 + 1/8) Tsp of salt
-1/2 Tsp of vanilla extract
-1-cup all-purpose flour
-vegetable oil for frying
-piping bag
-large star piping tip

Ingredients for cinnamon sugar-coating:
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-2 Tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. First, combine the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar-coating to a small mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Once the coating is set aside, place a large, heavy bottom pot on the stove and pour in 1 + 1/2 inches of vegetable oil. Turn the stove up to a medium heat until the oil boils, then bring the heat down to a simmer. Make sure to keep an eye on the temperature of the oil. If it gets too hot, the churros can burn easily.
3. When the oil rests at a static heat, grab a medium-sized saucepan and combine the milk, water, butter sugar, and salt together. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the liquid boils, remove the heat immediately and stir in the vanilla and flour. I would suggest using a silicone or metal spatula while mixing the dough together.

4. If the dough does not get completely smooth in the saucepan, place the dough on a cutting board and knead any lumps out.

5. Once the dough is lump-free, transfer it into the piping bag. (Make sure the star piping tip is already inserted into the bag).
6. Pipe out 1-inch pieces of dough. To get a clean-cut, use scissors. I like to pipe out a few inches at a time, then cut the 1-inch pieces from there.

7. In small batches, transfer the piped dough to the large pot. Gradually turn the churros over from side to side, until the whole piece of dough is golden brown. Once the churro is golden brown, remove from the pot with a wire skimmer or any other type of spatula.

8. Blot each churro with paper towels to remove excess oil. While the churros are still warm, toss them in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place them on a baking sheet to dry.

Ingredients for Chocolate Sauce:
-3/4 cup of granulated sugar
-1 + 1/2 Tsp of all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa
-1 + 1/4 cup of milk
-2 Tbsp butter
-1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
-a pinch of salt

Directions:
1. First, mix the sugar, flour, and cocoa together in a small mixing bowl. Make sure to whisk together so there are no clumps in the mixture.
2. Use a small saucepan and heat the milk, butter, and vanilla extract together over a medium to high heat until the butter melts.

3. Immediately add the dry mixture to the saucepan and stir consistently for about five to six minutes. Once the mixture is smooth and melted, turn off heat and add a pinch of salt.

4. Either drizzle over churros or pour into a small bowl for dipping.

Enjoy!