Churro Cake With Spiced Chocolate Sauce Food

CHURROS WITH SPICED SUGAR AND CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Keep warm.;
• Put the oil into a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until a deep fry thermometer registers 365 degrees F. Place several layers of paper towels on a baking sheet and set aside.
• Combine the water, butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the butter is completely melted and the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon anise seeds and quickly beat with a wooden spoon until a ball is formed and the mixture becomes dry, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for one minute to allow some of the steam to escape the mixture and to cool slightly before adding the eggs. Add the eggs, one a time, beating every time until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 20 seconds longer. Scrape the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Combine the remaining 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon anise in a baking dish.
• Working in batches, pipe 6-inch strips of the dough into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider to the prepared paper towel-lined baking sheet. Let the churros drain for 30 seconds and immediately toss in the sugar mixture. Serve the churros warm with the chocolate dipping sauce on the side.

CHURROS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• For the chocolate sauce: Scrape the vanilla seeds into a small saucepan; add the vanilla bean, cream, brown sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt and cook over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, no lumps of cocoa powder remain and the mixture is simmering, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean and add the chocolate, stirring to melt. Let sit until ready to serve (the sauce will thicken as it sits).
• For the churros: Whisk together the cinnamon and 1 cup of the organic sugar in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Scrape the vanilla seeds into a medium saucepan; add the vanilla bean, milk, butter, salt and remaining tablespoon organic sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove and discard the vanilla bean, add the flour and use a wooden spoon to vigorously mix until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the mixture on medium-low speed. Add the eggs to the dough one at a time, making sure to incorporate each egg before adding the next. (The dough will look broken at first.) Continue to beat, scraping the bowl occasionally, until the dough is smooth, glossy and somewhat stretchy (pull off a small piece of dough and stretch it--it shouldn't break). Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip.
• Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Pour the oil into a large pot until it comes halfway up the sides. Fit the pot with a deep-frying thermometer and heat the oil over medium-high heat until the thermometer registers 350 degrees F.
• Holding the pastry bag at an angle so the tip is a few inches above the surface of the oil, squeeze out the dough, moving the bag as you squeeze so the dough is piped in a 6-inch length into the oil (use a paring knife to cut off the dough at the tip to release it into the oil). Repeat the process to make 4 more churros. Fry the churros, turning once and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature, until deep golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the lined baking sheet for a moment, then toss in the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Serve the churros with the warm chocolate sauce.

CHURROS WITH CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix the sugar and cinnamon for the churros in a wide, shallow dish; this is for coating the cooked churros.
• Churros: Put the flour into a bowl and stir in the baking powder, then beat in the olive oil and 1 cup freshly boiled water. Keep mixing until you have a warm sticky dough, and let rest for about 10 minutes or for as long as it takes for the corn oil to heat up.
• Heat the oil in a smallish saucepan; it should come about a third of the way up the sides of the pan. When you think it's hot enough, toss in a cube of bread and see if it sizzles and browns. If it browns in about 30 seconds, it's hot enough; or if you're using an electric deep-fat fryer regulate the temperature, it should be at 325 degrees F. Keep a watchful eye on your hot oil pan at all times.
• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F.
• When you are ready, load up a piping bag with a large star shaped nozzle (8mm) and fill it with the churro dough. Squeeze short lengths, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches, of dough into the hot oil, snipping them off with a pair of scissors as you go. Cook about 3 or 4 at a time. Once they turn a rich golden brown, fish them out with a slotted spoon or tongs onto a kitchen towel lined baking sheet. To keep the churros warm while you fry the remaining dough. Blot them with paper towels and transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet into the oven to keep the churros warm. Even if you let them sit out of the oven, they do need 5 to 10 minutes to rest before you eat them, to allow them to set inside.
• Chocolate sauce: Melt all of the chocolate sauce ingredients in a heavy based saucepan over low heat. Once combined and the chocolate has melted, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside in a warm place.
• Toss the hot churros into the sugar and cinnamon mixture and shake them about to get a good covering, just before serving. Arrange the churros on a serving platter and serve.
• Pour the chocolate sauce into individual pots for serving (to avoid the double dipping dilemma) and dip'n'dunk away.

CHURRO LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch nonstick loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.
• Cream 12 tablespoons of the butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs in a liquid measuring cup and whisk with a fork until combined. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, then add a third of the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add half of the egg mixture, again mixing until fully incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour and egg mixtures, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula or small offset spatula. Tap the bottom of the pan swiftly against the counter 10 to 15 times to release any large air bubbles.
• Bake on the center rack, rotating the pan halfway through, until the top of the loaf is deeply golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before removing it from the pan and allowing it to fully cool on a baking rack, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl, then pour two-thirds of the mixture in a rectangle about the size of the loaf cake on a baking sheet.
• Once the cake is fully cooled, place the chocolate and corn syrup in a medium heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering, then carefully pour over the chocolate. Allow to sit for 1 minute, then stir with a rubber spatula until the heavy cream is fully incorporated, the chocolate is completely melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
• Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Using a pastry brush, evenly coat all 4 sides and the top of the cake with the melted butter. Carefully press each side of the cake into the sugar mixture, using your hands to press the cinnamon sugar to fill in any uncovered spots. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the cake. While the cake is still on the sheet pan, drizzle the chocolate sauce over the top, then transfer to a serving platter.