Whenever I hear the word churro, my mind goes directly to summer carnivals. Taking the kids to the fairground is something we look forward to every year. They usually go off and try the rides, while I walk around trying my luck at some games. We don’t leave before devouring a few of the mouth-watering churros, usually coated in a generous amount of cinnamon sugar.
Churros are a type of fried dough found in Portuguese and Spanish cuisine. The recipe immigrated to other countries and soon became well known in the Southwestern United States and France. The dough recipe is usually based on the same ingredients, with the toppings and fillings being the difference.
Carnival Churros
Ingredients
- oil for frying (vegetable oil, or shortening)
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cups butter
- 4 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups Bisquick
- 4 large eggs
- cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Place two cups of water, three-quarter cups of butter, and four tablespoons of white sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add two teaspoons of vanilla and remove from heat. To the pot, add in two cups of Bisquick, and stir until thickened. Set aside and allow to cool for twenty minutes.
- With an electric hand mixer, beat in four eggs one at a time, until well blended. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and use a star or large open tip.
- Pour the oil into a pot or a deep fryer, and heat to three hundred and seventy-five degrees. Pipe the mixture carefully into the hot oil, resembling a rope shape to the desired length. Fry until golden brown, approximately three to five minutes, turning if needed.
- Remove the churros with a slotted spoon and roll each one while still hot in cinnamon sugar. Place on a rack to cool. These can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days.
Angel Donut Churros
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup butter
- 5 tbsp white sugar
- 2 cups Bisquick
- 5 eggs
- oil for frying
- ½ cup lightly toasted coconut
Instructions
- With an electric mixer, mix four ounces of cream cheese, two tablespoons of buttermilk, and two teaspoons of vanilla until well combined. Beat in two cups of powdered sugar. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, bring two cups of water and five tablespoons of white sugar to a boil. Reduce heat and add two cups of Bisquick. Stir until the mixture thickens and forms a paste, pulling away from the sides of the pot. Cool the mixture for ten to fifteen minutes.
- Stir the eggs into the cooled dough mixture one at a time using an electric mixer until combined. Transfer the dough into a pastry bag and fit with a large star-shaped tip (you could use a round tip as well).
- Heat oil in a pot or deep fryer to three hundred and fifty degrees. Pipe the dough into donut shapes and carefully place into the hot oil (drop them into the oil with a large metal spoon). Cook for five minutes or until golden brown, turning when necessary. Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to absorb the oil. Let cool.
- Dip each churro donut into the cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. These should be stored in the refrigerator and will last up to a week.
Chocolate Hazelnut Stuffed Churros
Ingredients
- 2 cups Bisquick
- 4 tsp sugar
- 2 cups water
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- cinnamon sugar
- chocolate hazelnut spread
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Bring two cups of water, four teaspoons of sugar, and four tablespoons of vegetable oil to a boil.
- Remove from heat, add two cups of Bisquick and stir quickly until mixture resembles a paste.
- Stir in four eggs, one at a time until combined.
- Place the dough into a piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe the mixture to desired lengths onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for one hour.
- Heat oil in a pot or deep fryer to three hundred and seventy-five degrees. Fry the churros for four to five minutes, or until golden. Place on paper towels to drain.
- Poke through the center of each churro with a metal straw and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Scoop the hazelnut spread with a spoon and transfer it into a clean piping bag. Fill each churro and enjoy!
It’s amazing how certain tastes and smells can bring back memories. I remember my parents taking me to the carnival when I was a child, and now I get to have those experiences with my children. Although churros are not something I remember having back then, I’m reminded of these events by other things. Growing up on the East Coast, we had something quite similar to the taste of churros called beaver tails, commonly known as elephant ears in some areas. These are somewhat similar in taste, with the difference being that of yeast. Once the dough is prepared, it is shaped into a beaver tail and deep-fried, and coated with cinnamon sugar.
