This easy Churros recipe will give you a crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside treat. Toss them in cinnamon sugar, or plain sugar for the Spanish version.
1quartvegetable oilsuitable for deep frying; if deep fryer is large you may need 2 quarts of oil
Instructions
Make cinnamon sugar
Combine ⅓ cup granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in shallow dish. Set aside.
Make churro pastry
Place water, butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to medium, then add flour all at once. Immediately stir over medium heat to fully incorporate flour, then keep stirring over medium heat to cook pastry until it seizes into a ball and cleanly pulls away from sides of saucepan.
Take pan off the heat and transfer pastry to a medium-large mixing bowl. Cool for 5 minutes.
Once 5 minutes are up, use a hand mixer with beater attachments to beat in eggs, one at a time, until pastry is glossy and sticky-smooth (pastry will appear split after first egg is added, the second egg will make it come together).
Immediately transfer pastry to a sturdy pastry bag fitted with an M1 star tip (or rounded star tip in similar size (⅓ inch or around 9mm)).
Deep fry
Heat vegetable oil in heavy-bottomed pot or deep fat fryer to 380-400°F. (Oil should be at least 2 inches deep, pot at least 8 inches in diameter for good-sized churros.)
Pipe pastry directly into oil (careful, very hot!), about 5-6 inches long. Snip pastry with clean scissors, it will not break off on its own. Do not overcrowd pot or fryer, only fry 3-5 churros at a time.
Deep fry churros, about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown, crispy and puffy. Check inside of first batch - adjust heat down a little if inside is still raw with a golden outside, adjust heat up a little if churro isn't crispy.
Allow deep fried churros to drain on a plate lined with paper towels for 1-2 minutes, then immediately coat with cinnamon sugar.
Serve hot or warm, with thick chocolate sauce, Dulce de Leche and/or whipped cream.
Notes
Ingredient notes
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is an ingredients many of us love in the sugar coating of churros. But after having vacationed in Spain every year throughout my childhood, it is my understanding that it's not authentic to the original Spanish (or Portuguese) recipe. I love it though, so I do personally add it. Feel free to skip to stick to a more authentic result.
Vegetable oil: Make sure to use an oil suitable for frying, with a high smoking point (the label on the bottle should indicate that the oil can be used for deep frying).
Butter: If you need to use margarine for any reason, I recommend using stick margarine intended for cooking and baking. A spread can be harder to melt, depending on the additives used to keep it stable at room temperature.
Recipe tips
Please measure your flour correctly - spoon the flour into the cup, then level it off with the back of a knife. Scooping the flour directly with the measuring cup yields too much flour, which results in a pastry that is too thick.
Make sure to cook the pastry until it seizes up into a ball and cleanly pulls away from the sides - this doesn't take too long, but you must reach the stage where it pulls into a ball. Otherwise there is too much moisture left and you will end up with a pastry that is too soft.
The finished choux pastry should be soft/sticky and cling to a wooden spoon or the beaters of your mixer (mine usually wraps entirely around the beaters when it's finished and I have to scrape it off). If your pastry is very thick from adding too much flour, you can beat an extra egg in a separate bowl, then gradually add the egg, one tablespoon at a time, until your pastry comes together.
Be very careful when piping the pastry - it is thick and easily breaks thinner pastry bags if you don't pay attention. I always hold the pastry bag with two hands until I have used about half of the pastry, one hand to push down the pastry and the other hand to hold around where the tip is inside the bag, to support the bag where it would split first.
Do not over-crowd your deep fryer or pot (I always use a Dutch oven), this could lead to chewy churros instead of crunchy ones.