PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES (PLUS 6 HOURS RESTING TIME)

COOKING TIME: 10 MINUTES

MAKES: ENOUGH TO SHARE WITH 6 OR MORE

CHURROS

Churros are the dessert synonymous with Spain, Portugal and most of Latin America. You can grab these from street vendors — they all serve them in their own particular way. Some fat, some thin, a few that are doughy, others that are a little more crispy, you can get stuffed ones or flavoured ones, but one thing that is almost certainly common among all churros is they are all served with chocolate sauce for dipping!

300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

pinch salt

500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) milk

2 tablespoons brown sugar

160 g (5¾ oz/²/₃ cup) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see note)

5 egg yolks

1 quantity chocolate sauce

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

caster (superfine) sugar, to serve

cinnamon, to serve

Sift together the flour and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer with a flat beater attached. In a medium saucepan, bring to the boil the milk, brown sugar, butter and vanilla bean paste. Once boiling, immediately remove from the heat and gradually add to the mixer, on a low speed and beat until combined. Once the mix comes together, increase the speed, add the egg yolks and beat until the mixture appears smooth and shiny. This should take about 3–5 minutes (see note). Transfer the dough to a piping (icing) bag fitted with a 1 cm (½ inch)-wide star-shaped nozzle. Allow the piping bag to sit at room temperature for at least 6 hours.

To finish, pour the oil in a deep-fryer or fill a large saucepan to one-third full. Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil turns brown in 15 seconds. Pipe the desired lengths of churros into the hot oil, snipping each off with scissors for an even break. Cook for 3–5 minutes or until dark gold in colour and crispy. You may have to turn them a couple of times. Transfer the churros on to paper towel to drain and then roll them through the sugar cinnamon mix. Serve hot with warm chocolate sauce for dipping and then eat with your hands.

NOTES

∎   As an alternative to vanilla bean paste, you can use one whole vanilla bean, split down the centre and seeds scraped.

∎   It’s important to ensure that the dough is super smooth and has a good shine along with a good amount of stretch.