Editor’s note: Sadie Davis-Suskind, 14, is an eighth grader at Jane Addams Middle School and an aspiring chef. A former “MasterChef Junior” competitor, Davis-Suskind will share a recipe each week that other kids can make as well.
My 17-year-old brother and I sat in our family car recently, idling outside a Krispy Kreme store. We were surrounded by many soon-to-be 2020 graduates.
These capped-and-gowned seniors were waiting for their free box of doughnuts, offered by Krispy Kreme as a small way to make up for the loss of an in-person graduation ceremony. They were all, no doubt, dreaming of those raised glazed doughnuts. But not I. No, I was smelling the fryer oil and sugar wafting through the air and thinking about churros.
During the 16th century, Spanish explorers brought them to every port of the new world. Fried dough with sugar, it’s a win-win. Perhaps this is why so many countries claim that churros originated on their shores. This week I am offering an easy yet decadent and delicious churro recipe — don’t forget the chocolate dipping sauce — that will make you claim them for your own.
You’ll need a wooden mixing spoon, a piping bag (or zippered plastic bag) and a stand mixer.
Churros
Ingredients for churros:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 cup flour
2 eggs
Cinnamon sugar coating:
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Let’s do this:
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Into a pot with 1 cup water, drop in your sugar, salt and butter. Bring to a simmer until the butter melts completely.
3. Slowly stir in flour with a long wooden spoon. Cook the dough for one to two minutes over medium heat until it has absorbed all the water.
4. Place the dough into the bowl of your mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low for 1 minute to cool the dough.
5. On medium-low speed, slowly add eggs until everything is evenly mixed.
6. Grab your piping bag and fill it with the dough (you can also use a plastic zippered bag with a corner snipped off).
7. Put enough oil in a deep fryer or a large saucepan to reach a depth of 1 inch. Heat until a piece of the dough dropped into the oil turns golden after 30 seconds (375 to 400 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer).
8. Grab a sibling or parent to snip off the dough from the piping bag. Gently pipe 4 inches of dough directly into the oil as your helper snips.
9. Using a large spatula or slotted spoon, cook on one side for one minute, then flip to the other side for another minute. Flip back to the original side and cook for two minutes, then flip back for a final two minutes. This will help prevent your churros from bursting and splitting.
10. Drain on paper towels. While they are still hot, mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Then roll the cooked churros in the mixture until completely coated.
Chocolate sauce:
1¼ cups heavy cream
1 cup finely chopped dark chocolate (or semisweet 70% chocolate)
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add your cream.
2. Let it come to a gentle simmer, making sure it doesn’t boil.
3. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, then pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
4. Allow to sit for four minutes until the chocolate is melted. Remove the plastic wrap and whisk to combine.
ENJOY!