Churros - Spanish Doughnuts Recipe

Churros are Spain's version of the French Cruller, which are not even French. Crullers were invented by the Dutch, thus the name Kruller. In Danish the word Krullen means “to curl or twist.”  They are basically doughnuts, but whatever the origin, Churros are great when dipped into hot chocolate or coffee!
 

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Churros - Spanish Doughnuts

Yields: makes many
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min

Ingredients:

1 slice of bread
1/2 lemon
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 large egg, unbeaten
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered (confectioners) sugar for rolling

Preparation:

In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil (1 to 1-1/2 inches deep) to 375 degrees F. Add the bread slice and lemon to the hot oil and leave the bread there until becomes a very dark brown (almost, but not quite burned). Remove the bread and discard. NOTE: Treating the oil in such a manner before cooking your churros will give them that unique flavor or authenticity. 

Make sure your oil is hot enough before cooking the churros. Test by either using your cooking thermometer or by placing a small amount of dough in the hot oil (the dough should bubble up right away or that means the oil is not hot enough).

In a large mixing bowl, sift flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the boiling water. Beat this vigorously with a whisk until it appears light, fluffy, and smooth. Add the egg as you continue to beat. Keep beating until your batter begins to appear shiny. 

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Squeeze 3- to 4-inch strips of dough into the hot oil (use a knife to slice off each length as it emerges from the nozzle). Fry the churro strips until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. NOTE: Cooking too many at a time will drop the oil temperature and cause your churros to cook unequally. 

When the churros are a golden brown all over, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towels to absorb excess grease. Repeat with your remain dough.

While the churros are still hot, roll or sift powdered sugar over each of them. Serve warm.

Source: whatscookingamerica.net