Churros with Mexican Chocolate Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 4, 2021
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Makes 18 churros
Ingredients
Churros
2 cups water 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams), divided1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon table salt 2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour 2 large eggs 2 quarts vegetable oil ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamonSauce
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar ⅔ cup whole milk ¼ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder ⅓ cup (1 ounces/28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled1 teaspoon vanilla extractBefore You Begin
We used a closed star #8 pastry tip, ⅝ inch in diameter, to create deeply grooved ridges in the churros. However, you can use any large closed star tip of similar diameter, though your yield may vary slightly. To keep the eggs from scrambling, it's important to mix the dough for 1 minute in step 2 before adding them. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more.
Instructions
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with vegetable oil spray. Combine water, butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla, and salt in large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Off heat, add flour all at once and stir with rubber spatula until well combined with no streaks of flour remaining.
- Transfer dough to bowl of stand mixer. Fit mixer with paddle and mix dough on low speed until cooled slightly, about 1 minute. Add eggs, increase speed to medium, and beat until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Transfer warm dough to piping bag fitted with ⅝-inch closed star pastry tip. Pipe 18 (6-inch) lengths of dough onto prepared sheet, using scissors to snip dough at tip. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat sugar, milk, salt, cinnamon, and chile powder in medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking gently, until sugar has dissolved and liquid starts to bubble around edges of saucepan, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add cocoa, and whisk until smooth.
- Off heat, stir in chocolate and let sit for 3 minutes. Whisk sauce until smooth and chocolate is fully melted. Whisk in butter and vanilla until fully incorporated and sauce thickens slightly. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 month; gently warm in microwave, stirring every 10 seconds, until pourable, before using.)
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Line large plate with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
- Gently drop 6 churros into hot oil and fry until dark golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes, turning frequently for even cooking. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer churros to prepared plate for 30 seconds to drain off excess oil, then transfer to wire rack in oven. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining dough in 2 more batches.
- Combine cinnamon and remaining ½ cup sugar in shallow dish. Roll churros in cinnamon sugar, tapping gently to remove excess. Transfer churros to platter and serve with sauce.
for the churros
for the sauce
Time
1½ hoursYield
Makes 18 churrosIngredients
Churros
2 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams), divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 quarts vegetable oil
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sauce
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar
⅔ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
⅓ cup (1 ounces/28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients
Churros
2 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams), divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 quarts vegetable oil
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sauce
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar
⅔ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
⅓ cup (1 ounces/28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients
Churros
2 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams), divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 quarts vegetable oil
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sauce
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar
⅔ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
⅓ cup (1 ounces/28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Why This Recipe Works
A decadent breakfast treat for sure, but there's no denying that the lightly crisp pastry, inviting fragrance of cinnamon, and slightly bitter edge of chocolate pair perfectly with a steaming mug of coffee. Many recipes call for piping the cooled dough directly into hot oil, but we found this process to be hectic and dangerous. Instead, we piped the still-warm dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerated the churros for a few minutes to firm them up. This made the process of transferring them to the oil easy. A combination of cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate kept the sweetness of our sauce in check, while a bit of chipotle chile powder added heat and a little cinnamon contributed warmth.
Before You Begin
We used a closed star #8 pastry tip, ⅝ inch in diameter, to create deeply grooved ridges in the churros. However, you can use any large closed star tip of similar diameter, though your yield may vary slightly. To keep the eggs from scrambling, it's important to mix the dough for 1 minute in step 2 before adding them. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more.
Instructions
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with vegetable oil spray. Combine water, butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla, and salt in large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Off heat, add flour all at once and stir with rubber spatula until well combined with no streaks of flour remaining.
- Transfer dough to bowl of stand mixer. Fit mixer with paddle and mix dough on low speed until cooled slightly, about 1 minute. Add eggs, increase speed to medium, and beat until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Transfer warm dough to piping bag fitted with ⅝-inch closed star pastry tip. Pipe 18 (6-inch) lengths of dough onto prepared sheet, using scissors to snip dough at tip. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat sugar, milk, salt, cinnamon, and chile powder in medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking gently, until sugar has dissolved and liquid starts to bubble around edges of saucepan, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add cocoa, and whisk until smooth.
- Off heat, stir in chocolate and let sit for 3 minutes. Whisk sauce until smooth and chocolate is fully melted. Whisk in butter and vanilla until fully incorporated and sauce thickens slightly. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 month; gently warm in microwave, stirring every 10 seconds, until pourable, before using.)
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Line large plate with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
- Gently drop 6 churros into hot oil and fry until dark golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes, turning frequently for even cooking. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer churros to prepared plate for 30 seconds to drain off excess oil, then transfer to wire rack in oven. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining dough in 2 more batches.
- Combine cinnamon and remaining ½ cup sugar in shallow dish. Roll churros in cinnamon sugar, tapping gently to remove excess. Transfer churros to platter and serve with sauce.
for the churros
for the sauce
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