I love cinnamon. It is definitely my favorite spice to bake with. I love adding it to fruit desserts, stirring it in my coffee, and just going to my spice drawer, taking it out and smelling it. Just kidding about that last one, although I do really enjoy the scent..
Anytime someone mentions the word churro in a sentence, everyone's eyes light up. What's not to love? It's like a doughnut or eclair or funnel cake...but entirely in a world of its own. After doing some research I found out that the traditional churros from Spain are not normally covered in cinnamon sugar, but instead left plain and served with a chocolate dipping sauce.
Today we have a version that has all of the above, plus they are made mini so instead of having one big churro, you can secretly inhale as many mini ones as you like, without judgement. Which is all I really want in life, to not be judged while eating churros. What are your life goals?
But seriously, these are so incredible. I will admit and say the "french fry" aspect of it was accidental. I had already started making them when I realized that my pastry tip was too small to make them legit churro size, lol. I almost gave up and planned to start over another day but then I tasted one and they were...OMG AMAZING.
Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Crunchy texture from the cinnamon sugar, and then drippy spicy chocolate sauce to dip it in. The cinnamon sugar gets all over your fingers but you could care less because you are eating churros.
I then decided that the churro french fry idea could totally work. As I've proclaimed on here before, the only way to make a great thing even better is to make it MINI!
Churro Fries with Spicy Chocolate Dip
Ingredients
- 1 tbl cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbl brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- canola oil for frying
for the chocolate dip
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
- 4 oz chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions
Mix together the cinnamon sugar in a large bowl or plate.
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter with the water, brown sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Add the flour, and stir to combine until a ball is formed. Remove saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating continuously until each egg is incorporated into the dough before adding the next. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated. Dough should be glossy and smooth.
Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip. Pour canola oil into a deep skillet or dutch oven until it is 2 inches deep. Heat to 350°F.
Squeeze the dough into the hot oil in 3 - 4 inch segments. Do not overcrowd the pan, as this can reduce temperature of oil. Cook until the dough is golden brown on all sides, flipping once, about 4 - 7 minutes each.
Remove from oil with a slotted spoon, and drain immediately on a plate lined with paper towels. Toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
In a small bowl, combine the cayenne, chocolate chips, and heavy cream. Microwave in 30 seconds increments, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted. Serve with the churro fries!