“Churros, sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, are fried-dough pastry-based snacks, sometimes made from potato dough, that originated in Spain. They are also popular in Latin America, France, Portugal, the United States, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. The snack gets its name from its shape, which resembles the horns of the Churro breed of sheep reared in the Spanish grasslands of Castilla.There are two types of churros in Spain. One is thin (and usually knotted) and the other, especially popular in Madrid, is long and thick (porra). They both are normally eaten for breakfast dipped in hot chocolate.
Churros are typically fried until they become crunchy, and then are sprinkled with sugar. The surface of a churro is ridged due to having been piped from a churrera, a syringe with a star-shaped nozzle. Churros are generally prisms in shape, and may be straight, curled or spirally twisted.
Like pretzels, churros are often sold by street sellers, who often will fry them freshly on the street stand and sell them hot. In Spain, Mexico and Argentina, they are available in cafes for breakfast, although they may be eaten throughout the day as a snack. Specialized churrerías can be found in the form of a shop or a trailer during the holiday period. In Colombia they can be found in the streets but they are thin and shaped like a ring.
The dough is prepared similarly to Choux paste; water, butter and flour are heated and stirred into a firm ball, and then eggs are beaten into the hot paste.”
The best Churros I had was at a market called Maxwell Street Market in Chicago. If my memory serves me well, this market operates only on Sundays from 7-8 am till about 3pm. This information might be incorrect coz it’s been years since I went to the market and I know they have shifted location or something. The churros are sold from a white van, freshly made with your choice of filling; strawberry or vanilla. Hubby and I always go for strawberry filling and the churros were simply delectable. I’ve never had better Churros since, maybe coz it was made fresh…. My recent Churros purchase from Costco were quite a disappointment so I resort to attempt a batch of Churros on my own.
The verdict of the Churros I made…….was just okay…=(. It wasn’t as good as the one from Maxwell Street Market, but I thought it was better than the one I had in Costco recently. There’s a slight citrusy flavor to the Churros I made which made it taste a tad better than Costco’s.
Here’s the recipe for those of you who’s interested in making this sweet treats. This easy recipe is from Bon Appétit’s test kitchen taken from their May 2009 publication. Photo below is by Lisa Hubbard borrowed from Bob Appétit.
CINNAMON-DUSTED MINI CHURROS
Ingredients:
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 1 Cup plus 6 Tbsp Sugar
- 2-1/2 Tbsp Orange Juice
- 1 Tbsp Orange Zest, Finely Grated
- 1-1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2-3/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon, Divided
- 1-1/2 Cup Self Rising Flour
- Oil
Whisk eggs, egg yolk, 6 tablespoons sugar, orange juice, orange peel, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir in flour. Mix 1 cup sugar and 2 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon in medium bowl.
Pour enough oil into heavy large saucepan to reach depth of 1 inch. Attach deep-fry thermometer to side of pan and heat oil to 355°F to 360°F over medium-high heat. Spoon batter into pastry bag fitted with 3/8-inch (medium) star tip. Working in batches, pipe several 3- to 4-inch-long ribbons of batter into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning occasionally and adjusting heat to maintain temperature, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Working in batches, add warm churros to bowl of cinnamon sugar and toss to coat.
June’s Notes: I did not have Orange zest, and used Lemon zest instead. It worked well. My churros were more like super mini Churros,, as they varied from 1-2 inches. And halfway through piping my Churros into the pan, my makeshift piping bag (Zip Lock bag) burst leaving my star tip point in the hot oil. =P. I continued squeezing the batter into the oil, minus the star pattern. My churros did not look as appetizing as the picture shown above….but it still taste yummy when eaten almost immediately. Should have made some hot chocolate to go with it! I might need to find another Churro’s recipe to try…..Somebody, please send me some Churros from Maxwell Street Market in Chicago….Strawberry Filling please!!
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