Name: Churros with Chocolate
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 120 g All-Purpose Flour, sifted; 180 ml Water; 25 g Butter; 35 g Sugar, divided between dough and coating; 1 pinch Salt; ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon, for coating; 400 ml Oil, for frying; 100 g Dark Chocolate, chopped; 120 ml Milk; 1 tsp Cornstarch, for thickening chocolate

40 mintotal

Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: None

Add to your week

Method

Heat the water, butter, a small part of the sugar, and salt in a pan until the butter melts and the liquid begins to simmer.
Add the flour all at once and stir firmly until the dough comes together and pulls away from the pan.
Let the dough cool slightly, then transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
Heat the oil over medium heat. Pipe short lengths of dough into the oil and fry until crisp and golden.
Mix the remaining sugar with cinnamon powder and toss the hot churros in this mixture.
For the chocolate, warm the milk with cornstarch, then add dark chocolate and stir until thick and glossy.
Serve the churros hot with the thick chocolate on the side for dipping.

How to tell it's done

The churros should be crisp outside, light inside, and ridged enough to hold the cinnamon sugar.

Getting it right

Tip

Keep the oil at medium heat; very hot oil browns the outside before the center cooks.

What to serve it with

Serve immediately as a dessert or evening snack with thick hot chocolate.

Common mistakes

The churros burst or spit in the oil.: Let the dough cool before piping and keep the oil at a steady medium — around 180°C. Dough piped hot traps steam, and oil that is too hot browns the outside before the inside sets, which is when they split.
They are greasy and soft rather than crisp.: The oil is not hot enough. Fry a test piece first: it should sizzle immediately and rise. Churros dropped into warm oil absorb it and never crisp.

Substitutions

Use Chocolate Chips if Dark Chocolate is unavailable, but the dip may taste sweeter.
Use Cinnamon instead of Cinnamon Powder only if you can grind it finely.
Do not make the dough too loose; it should be firm enough to hold ridges after piping.

Storing and reheating

Churros are a within-the-hour thing — they soften as they cool and reheating never fully restores them. The chocolate keeps three days in the fridge and thickens; warm gently with a splash of milk.

Tarta de Queso Vasca (Basque Burnt Cheesecake)

A Basque-style burnt cheesecake with a deeply caramelized top and creamy center.

4 hr 25 minvegetarian

Crema Catalana (Catalan Custard)

A Catalan custard infused with cinnamon and citrus, finished with a crisp caramelized sugar top.

2 hr 30 minvegetarian

Croquetas de Jamón (Spanish Ham Croquettes)

Creamy Spanish ham croquettes with a crisp breadcrumb crust and soft béchamel center.

2 hr 45 minnon vegetarian

Pan con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread)

A simple Catalan tomato bread rubbed with garlic, ripe tomato, olive oil, and salt.

10 minvegan

Patatas Bravas

Crisp Spanish potatoes served with a smoky tomato-paprika bravas sauce.

45 minvegan

Albóndigas en Salsa (Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)

Spanish-style meatballs simmered in a simple tomato sauce with garlic, onion, paprika, and parsley.

55 minnon vegetarian

Ingredients