SEASONAL SPANISH RECIPE: Churros a favourite Spanish breakfast

There is no corner of Spain where traditional churros are not made. From North to South of the peninsula, churros are a popular treat for breakfast or snack accompanied by a good hot chocolate dipping cup or simply with a latte.

This sweet, simple and delicious treat is nothing more than a dough, based on water, salt and flour, fried in abundant oil and served sprinkled with sugar. This simple recipe is perfect for a weekend breakfast treat.

 

Ingredients:

 

250 g all-purpose wheat flour

250 g water

1 teaspoon salt (about 8 g)

Olive oil or sunflower oil for frying

Kitchen absorbent paper

A pastry sleeve with a thin mouth or a hand-paced churrera.

  

Preparation:

1. Put the flour in a large bowl. In a pan heat the water with salt.

2. When the mixture starts to boil, pour it directly onto the flour. With a wooden spoon integrate the flour with the water, until it resembles a very sticky and quite compact dough.

3. Insert the dough mixture into a pastry sleeve. This step is essential so that the churros form the correct shape. You have to compact the dough and remove the air to prevent the churros from splitting in the oil, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP.

4. Make the churros portions with the raw dough on a kitchen cloth on the worktop, that cools the dough and prevents it from opening or bursting during the frying process.

5. Put a frying pan with plenty of olive oil or sunflower on the heat.

6. When the oil is hot, insert the portions of dough to fry. Before frying, the oil temperature should be measured between 195 and 200 C. Cook over medium heat to prevent the churros from being raw inside.

7. Once fried, remove to a tray with cooking paper to absorb excess oil.

8. Serve with sprinkled sugar.

 

Chocolate Dipping Cup

 

Ingredients:

400 g Dark chocolate (70% cocoa) or 250 g cocoa powder (67% minimum cocoa)

1 litre whole milk

A pinch of salt

Sugar to taste

Optional: - to aromatize, a sprig of cinnamon or a touch of vanilla.

 

Preparation:

1. Heat the milk in a pan add sugar to taste to sweeten the milk

2. Add the pre-chopped chocolate and salt. If using an aromatic touch then add at this stage.

3. When it starts to boil, remove from the heat to stop it from bubbling.

4. If you don't want use chocolate, you have the option of cocoa powder (albeit much better with real cocoa) using a blender instead of the wooden spoon.