BAKING PROJECT

Preparing something for afternoon tea is always a challenge.. trying to figure out what to make.  Mostly it revolves around our local kuih like karipap and so on.  And yes,  I guess churro is also a quick one to whip up. Although it is not local and traditionally being eaten by the Spanish or Hispanic people for breakfast, dunk in their hot chocolate drink.  The batter is actually similar to Choux Pastry (Cream puff), and instead of being baked it is fried in very hot oil.   I read that the authentic Spanish Churro only contains flour, water and salt.  So I guess the taste won’t be as rich as the one below.

Anyway, let’s try and make this version of Churro today

The recipe 

Oil for frying

Castor sugar mix with a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg, for coating.

Mix water, butter, orange zest, salt and sugar in a saucepan.  Use a medium fire and heat till the butter has melted.  Bring to full boil.  Add all the flour and stir vigorously.  Stir till you get a ball of dough which doesn’t stick to the pan, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the fire and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a mixer.  Add the eggs one by one and mix thoroughly.  It will look like it’s curdling at first, just continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes.  Try to get a dough which is not too soft.  Then transfer the dough into a piping bag with a big Star tube.

Heat the oil, and press out the dough into 2 to 3 inches long (actually you can pipe as long as you want).   You can cut off the dough by pressing the tube to the side of the pan, or use your finger or scissors.  Be careful of the hot oil.

Deep fry till golden and cooked all over, about 2 to 3 minutes.   Transfer to paper towel to drain the oil and then toss with the castor sugar.

Another method is to pipe the dough onto a plate and then freezing it for a while, then deep fry.  This is easier and you can make all the churros straight (as opposed to curly).

Eat your churros while it is still hot.. for that crunchiness.  If you wish, you can dip it in Chocolate sauce.   Super yummy ! This recipe yields quite a lot of churros, enough for 4 person.  The dough can be frozen wrapped in an airtight plastic bag.  So you can have your Spanish doughnut or also known as Mexican crullers, anytime.  Cheers.