Churros con Chocolate
I saw an episode of To Spain With Love where the host Annie Sibonney went on a night out in swinging Madrid. I found out that Madrilenos like to have a travelling feast. To start off the evening, they go for tapas and drinks in a bar in Market Square where the stalls open at dusk much like our local Banchetto or Mercato Centrale. Then they make their way around the city to go dancing and get a bite here and there. Dinner doesn't normally start until midnight. There's no such thing as eating too late.
And guess what? They eat churros con chocolate as a "one for the road" at 5am! Something to warm the stomach as one heads home to sleep. Now that's what I call a complete night out.
Here in Manila, you can have your fill of close-to-authentic churros con chocolate at Dulcinea. Not at dawn, though, but just as good. I remember sharing these crunchy treats dipped in hot chocolate with my Mom as a break from shopping at the mall. I've been missing her lately so I decided to make churros con chocolate at home. It's not the same ordering it at Dulcinea without her.
This recipe was adapted from the Food Network.
Churros con Chocolate
Churros
1/2 cup butter
pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
4 cups oil for frying
1/4 cup refined sugar
ground cinnamon (optional)
Hot chocolate
4 pieces tablea chocolate
2 cups fresh milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup refined sugar
Directions:
To make the churro dough, heat the water, margarine, and salt to a rolling boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the flour and stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, approximately 1 minute and remove from heat. Beat eggs until smooth and add to the saucepan while stirring the mixture.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. Squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into the hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and roll the churros in the sugar mixture. Set aside until ready to serve.
To prepare the hot chocolate for dipping, place the chocolate and half the milk in a saucepan over very low heat and cook, stirring, until the chocolate has melted. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly until the chocolate thickens, approximately 5 minutes. Remove and whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate into cups and serve with churros.
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