Plated + Served: On the Eleventh Day of Christmas…
Churros!
In celebration of the Eleven Pipers Piping, Mama made Mexican Crullers, better known as Churros.
Churros are crispy fried dough fritters sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. They come in two shapes: thin and coiled in the traditional cruller shape or long and thick “porras” (the Spanish word for baton).
In some parts of Latin America, Churros are filled with guava paste, chocolate, dulce de leche (caramel and sweet cream) and even cheese.
The dough you used to make the Seven Swans-a-Swimming is the same dough used for Churros. To get the crunchy ridges, a pastry bag with a star tip works best, but I’ve also used a Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bag.
Deep-fried and delightfully sweet… these are the perfect way to start the weekend, if you remember portion control!
Now… get piping!
Churros
prep: 20 minutes
cook: 3 to 4 minutes
you’ll need…
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
8 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
oil for frying
let’s get to it…
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl; set aside. Line a baking sheet with paper towels; set aside.
Heat the water, butter and salt in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat until the water boils and the butter melts; remove from heat.
Add the flour all at once and stir until the dough forms a ball.
Stir the vanilla into the dough and then add the eggs one at a time until the mixture is glossy (I used an electric stand mixer to make the job go faster).
Spoon the dough into a pastry bag with a star tip or use a Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bag. If using a Ziploc® bag, push the dough into one corner, squeeze out the air, seal and cut off a ½-inch tip from the bag’s corner; refrigerate until ready to use.
Pour the oil in a deep heavy skillet (about 1-inch) and heat on medium high until the oil reaches 350°F to 375°F. Carefully pipe the dough into the oil, forming long thin batons or circled crullers. Don’t crowd the pan!
Fry, turning once, until golden brown on each side. Remove from oil using tongs and drain on prepared baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle immediately with the sugar and cinnamon mixture and serve immediately while hot.
