Xoco Churros With Mexican Hot Chocolate Food

CHURRO TACOS WITH MEXICAN CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the salt, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 1/4 cups water to the butter and remove from the heat. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and a dough is formed. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, then add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed, followed by the vanilla.
• Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and set aside. Cut parchment paper into 5-inch squares and place them on a sheet tray. Pipe a cookie-sized round of the churro batter onto each parchment square, then freeze for 1 hour.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. Fit a rack inside a sheet tray.
• Combine the cinnamon with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Carefully slide half the frozen churros off the parchment paper into the hot oil and cook until golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, then transfer to the rack. Sprinkle each churro with the cinnamon-sugar mixture immediately after removing them from the fryer.
• Top each churro with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of dulce de leche, if using.

CHURROS AND HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Churros: 8 cups vegetable or olive oil 1 cup water 1/2 cup margarine or butter 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 eggs 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• Hot Chocolate: 4 ounces dark chocolate 2 cups milk 1 tablespoon cornstarch 4 tablespoons sugar
• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 360 degrees F.
• To make the churro dough, heat the water, margarine, and salt to a rolling boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the flour and stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, approximately 1 minute and remove from heat. Beat eggs until smooth and add to the saucepan while stirring the mixture.
• Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. Squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into the hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and roll the churros in the sugar mixture. Set aside until ready to serve.
• To prepare the hot chocolate for dipping, place the chocolate and half the milk in a saucepan over very low heat and cook, stirring, until the chocolate has melted. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly until the chocolate thickens, approximately 5 minutes. Remove and whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate into cups and serve with churros.

XOCO CHURROS WITH MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Make the cinnamon sugar:
• In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. DO AHEAD: The cinnamon sugar can be made ahead and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 month.
• Make the hot chocolate:
• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, combine the milk or water and the chocolate. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is almost completely dissolved (there will still be small pieces of chocolate) and the mixture is steaming. Transfer to a blender or use a handheld immersion blender and process until the mixture is foamy and fully emulsified, about 30 seconds (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return the hot chocolate to the saucepan. When ready to serve, place over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm.
• Make the churro dough:
• In a medium pot over moderate heat, whisk together the butter, sugar, salt, and 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a simmer, stirring to melt the butter. Remove the pot from the heat and add the flour, stirring vigorously to fully incorporate it into the liquid. Return the pot to moderate heat and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the dough is smooth and sticky, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner; cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Following the 15-minute resting period, add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely incorporated after each addition. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip.
• Fry the churros:
• Line a large baking sheet with several layers of paper towels and place the cinnamon sugar in a small shallow bowl.
• In a heavy large pot, heat 3 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 375°F. Working in batches (about 6 churros per batch), hold the pastry bag just above the surface of the hot oil and carefully and gently pipe 4-inch ribbons of dough directly into the oil, using a paring knife to cut the batter at the end of the star tip if necessary. Fry the churros, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked in the center, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer as done to the paper-towel-lined baking sheet and return the oil to 375°F between batches. Toss the churros in cinnamon sugar and serve warm with the Mexican hot chocolate.

OUTRAGOUSLY THICK SPANISH HOT CHOCOLATE WITH CHURROS

Steps:

• Pour 5 1/2 cups milk into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Add the remaining 1/2 cup milk to form a smooth paste.
• Heat the milk over medium heat and add cocoa mixture just before the milk boils.
• Allow to boil, stirring constantly for one minute or until slightly thickened.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and 8 ounces of the chocolate. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and combined. Add more chocolate, little by little, to taste.
• Set aside and keep warm.
• Start the churros.
• Combine the water, olive oil, and salt in a medium heavy-bottomed non-aluminum saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Remove from heat and add all the flour. Stir briskly with a wooden spoon until the dough gathers in a clump around the spoon and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
• Place the pan over medium heat and stir the batter briskly for 30-60 seconds more to dry out any excess moisture and eliminate raw flour taste.
• Turn the dough out onto an aluminum foil-lined work area.
• Pat the dough into an 8 inch circle and let cool for 5 minutes. Return the dough to the pan.
• One at a time, beat the eggs into the dough, stirring briskly after each addition just until the egg is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth.
• The dough should end up smooth, slightly sticky, and malleable, but firm enough to form soft peaks and hold its shape when piped or scooped.
• Pour 3 inches of oil into a heavy pan or deep fryer. Heat the oil to 365°F.
• Meanwhile, stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a large, shallow dish.
• Put a large, star-shaped pastry tip into a pastry bag and pipe strips or coils of dough into the hot oil.
• Fry one large spiral or 4 strips at a time.
• Fry until golden brown, using tongs to turn the pastries about 2 minutes per side.
• Use a wire-mesh skimmer to transfer the hot churros to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• While still warm, roll the churros in the cinnamon-sugar.
• Place churros on a baking sheet and keep warm at 200°F in an oven.
• Betwen each batch of churros, allow the oil to return to 365°F
• When all the churros are finished, gently rewarm hot chocolate if necessary.
• Pour the hot chocolate into six 1-cup bowls or cups and top each with a dollop of whipped cream. Serve with churros for dipping.

CHURROS (MEXICAN CRULLERS)

Steps:

• Bring water, sugar and salt to boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in flour all at once and beat until smooth.
• Beat in eggs one at a time until mixture is smooth.
• Spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star point.
• Pipe 3 inch strips onto waxed paper or floured surface.
• Add lemon peel to fry fat and heat to 375 degrees.
• Fry churros a few at a time for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden, turning as necessary.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Roll in sugar.