Churros con Chocolate

Method

1. Sift the flour into a heatproof bowl. Get your tools ready: a sturdy piping bag (or a churro maker) fitted with a 1 cm open star tip, kitchen scissors, a tray lined with paper towels, a slotted spoon or tongs, a cooking thermometer and a plate of sugar.

   Add in this stepAll-purpose flour 125 g

2. Put the water, salt and dough oil in a 16 cm pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, about 3 min. Pour the boiling water over the flour all at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute, until you have a smooth, thick dough with no dry flour. It should feel slightly sticky. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for 10 minutes.

   Add in this stepWater 135 mlSalt ½ tspSunflower oil (for the dough) 1½ tsp

   high heat

3. While the dough rests, make the chocolate. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch with 4 tbsp of the cold milk until smooth. Heat the rest of the milk and the sugar in a 16 cm pot over medium heat for 4 min, until small bubbles appear at the edge, then add the chocolate and stir until melted. Stir the cornstarch mixture again, pour it in, lower to low heat and stir constantly for 3 min, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon heavily. Turn off the heat and cover.

   Add in this stepCornstarch 2½ tspWhole milk 300 mlSugar (for the chocolate) 2 tspDark chocolate (50 to 70% cocoa), finely chopped 80 g

   medium heat→low heat

4. Pour the frying oil into a deep 18 cm pot: at least 3 cm deep, but no more than one third of the pot's height. Heat over medium-high heat for about 7 min, to 185 °C. No thermometer? Drop in a pea-sized piece of dough: it should rise at once with lively bubbles and turn golden in about 1 minute. If it browns in seconds, the oil is too hot, so turn it down; if it sinks and sits quietly, it is not hot enough. Keep wet utensils away from the oil, turn the pot handle inwards and keep a lid within reach. If the oil smokes, turn off the heat.

   Add in this stepSunflower oil (for deep-frying) 0.9 L

   medium-high heat

5. Half-fill the piping bag with dough and twist the top closed (the dough is stiff, so it takes some strength). Hold the tip 3 to 4 cm above the oil, pipe 12 cm lengths, snip them off with the scissors and let them drop gently, away from you. Fry only 3 to 5 at a time, in 3 batches, for 2 min 30 sec per batch over medium-high heat, turning once halfway with tongs. Lift them out when deep golden and firmly crisp. Wait 30 seconds before the next batch so the oil can heat back up.

   medium-high heat

6. Drain the churros on paper towels for 30 seconds, then roll them in the sugar while still hot.

   Add in this stepSugar (for coating) 2 tbsp

7. If the chocolate has cooled, rewarm it briefly over low heat, stirring, and pour it into cups. Dip the freshly fried churros and eat right away. Leave the used oil off the heat until completely cool, at least 1 to 2 hours, before moving or straining it.