Churros with a Chocolate Pot. Photo by Liddle Martinez

By LIDDIE MARTINEZ
Española Valley

With both Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine’s Day on the horizon, I thought it would be a good time to talk about a fast and easy snack that is often enjoyed at carnivals, theme parks and fairs but could just as easily be made in your kitchen. Churros are a special treat that you likely won’t be eating very often but, for special occasions, they are a sweet reminder of our blended history.

Chocolate, as we have talked about a number of times, is an ancient food that was grown and cultivated in the southern regions of Mexico as long ago as the Olmec empire, predating even the Aztecs. While originally used as medicine, it quickly found its way to our dinner tables initially as a hot but bitter drink developed by the Aztecs. But once the Spanish arrived and began exporting to Europe, its uses expanded when the Spanish Monks combined it with sugar.

I first tried churros in the wee hours of an early dawn in Madrid, Spain following a long and enjoyable night of tapas and flamenco dancing.  In Spain, when the dancing stops the chocolate shops open so we meandered over to one of the oldest shops in Spain and ordered churros y chocolate. The churros were crisps and golden pastry served with a small pot of chocolate for dipping. The combination is the perfect marriage of Indigenous and European cultures!

Churros are nothing more than a deconstructed donut: fried pastry with chocolate glaze on the side; don’t be intimidated. I used the same recipe I use for eclairs, choux pastry and chocolate glaze. Make the chocolate glaze first because you will want to serve the churros while they are warm.

Chocolate Dipping Glaze

½ cup    heavy cream

½ cup    semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Place chocolate in a small bowl with a whisk. In a small sauce pan bring cream to a boil and pour over chocolate whisking until smooth. Set aside. You can warm it up in the micro wave 30 seconds on high before serving.

Cinnamon Sugar

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon until well mixed and set aside. Line a baking sheet with double layers of paper towels and place tongs and cinnamon sugar on sheet.

Choux Pastry

1 cup     water

1 stick   butter

½ tsp.    salt

1 ½ tsp. sugar

1 cup     flour

2 eggs, beaten, divided

1 ½ cup oil for frying

You will also need a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Have it ready to fill.

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat while making the dough.

In a large sauce pan bring water, butter, salt and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add flour all at once stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until four is fully incorporated. Return to low heat and cook for one additional minute. Turn off heat. Transfer dough to a large bowl and whisk in one beaten egg waiting until egg has been fully incorporated into the dough before adding the second egg. Continue whisking until dough is tick but glossy.

Place lined baking sheet and cinnamon sugar on stove next to your frying station.

Fill pastry bag and, using clean scissors, pipe pastry into hot oil cutting pasty at 6-inch lengths. Only fry 3 or four pieces at a time in batches. Fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown then slightly drain on paper towels then roll in cinnamon sugar.

Serve with warmed chocolate pot.

Makes 4-5 servings