Which brings us to churros, those not-quite-doughnut little goodies scarfed down at Spanish cafes with mugs of thick Spanish chocolate. I am hardly a fan of sweets, but with the two women of the house swooning every time Jose Andres dunks a hot churro into a steaming cup of chocolate, duty was calling. Please note that, the first time I made these, the chocolate was just an after-thought, and I just whipped up some Swiss Miss. Bad Daddy: make the real thing. The critics know how Jose does it, and they expect nothing less.
Churros
1 c water
2 T brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/3 c butter (we used home-made, since that's all we had)
1 c white flour
2 eggs
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 c sugar
1/2 to 1 t ground cinnamon
Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of vegetable oil in a 10-12 inch Dutch oven or fryer. Shoot for a temperature of 360, and be assured that VBT (Very Bad Things) will happen when you stray too far above or below that mark.
Mix the 1/4 c sugar and cinnamon together on a large plate and set aside. This is for dusting the finished churros, although you may prefer to dispense with this and use powdered sugar instead.
In a sauce-pan, bring the water, brown sugar, salt and butter to a good boil. Remove from heat and stir in the flour until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and vanilla together and then add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until well blended and all the egg is completely mixed in.
The next step is important. The internets--which never lie--will tell you it is possible to make churros using one of those frosting applicator tools that look like a caulk-gun. My experience was that I could not keep the dough streaming long enough with one of those to really do the job right. So when your oil is up to temp, load your dough into a pastry-bag with the biggest star-tip you can find. Hold it as low as you dare over the oil, and push 4 inches of dough into the oil at a time. The rate at which the cooking churros have to be turned precludes doing more than a few at a time. When you see gold appear on top, gently flip them, and be prepared to remove them to newspapers or a stack of paper towels. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, dust with cinnamon-sugar mix or powdered sugar and make available for munchers.
Spanish Chocolate
2 c whole milk
4 oz Abuelita (or equivalent) chocolate, available at your favorite Mexican grocery
1/2 t cornstarch
Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the cornstarch, whisking in to dissolve thoroughly. Heat on medium just until boiling, then remove pan from heat. Add the chocolate and stir until it is completely melted. Dunk and enjoy!
