CHURROS
Serves 4, Ready in 1-1.5 hours
Spanish Churros With Hot Chocolate- Churros y Chocolate
No sooner had the plane tyres touched the Spanish tarmac before I was dreaming of the moment my nostrils would be graced with the sweet smell of freshly fried churros and hot chocolate.
Churros have been one of my favourite desserts for most of my life so the excitement I felt coming to Spain was unreal! One place in particular had caught my eye during my research so when we arrived in Granada, we headed straight to Alhambra Churreria to test the hype on their churros. They did not disappoint!
For starters, these were not the churros I was used to seeing in the UK. As a steaming plate of thick, fluffy-centred batons of dough drifted past me, accompanied by a mug of decadent chocolate, I knew I was onto something special!
Churros in Granada’s Alhambra Churrería- A thicker, fluffier style of churro
When I got back to London, I set about researching why these churros may have not been the thin, ridged, sugar-coated ones that I was used to seeing and it turns out, there’s a lot more to churros than I thought. In fact there are two types of churro in Spain, churros, which are the classic, ridged sticks or loops; then porras, which are non-ridged, thicker and fluffier.
Traditional churros (right hand side)
This recipe is my take on porras, the churro’s chunkier, fluffier sibling. Served alongside a Spanish style hot chocolate, these are the ultimate treat!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PORRAS:
150g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon dried instant yeast
Pinch of salt
150ml warm water
Frying oil
FOR THE HOT CHOCOLATE:
400ml whole milk + 1.5 tablespoons
225g dark chocolate
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon plain flour
Note- You will also need a piping bag to add the batter into the oil.
METHOD
Combine the flour, yeast and salt together in a large mixing bowl to make the porras.
Add the water, mix well and leave it to stand for 30-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the hot chocolate. Add the milk and cinnamon to a saucepan and gently simmer to a boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring continuously until all of the chocolate has melted.
Mix the 1/2 tablespoon of flour with the 1.5 tablespoons of milk in a small dish before adding this into the chocolate mix.
Return the pan to the heat and cook on a low to thicken, stirring frequently. Once it’s thickened, remove from the heat and set aside.
Now to fry the porras. Heat some oil in a large pan that’s suitable for frying.
Place the churro batter in a piping bag.
When the oil is hot enough, pipe the batter into the pan in a large swirl shape. (If your pan isn’t large enough to do one big swirl, do multiple, smaller swirls instead)
Fry on both sides until golden brown before removing and draining on a piece of kitchen paper.
Leave them to cool for a minute and when they are cool enough to handle, cut the swirl into batons using a pair of scissors and serve warm with the hot chocolate.
Feel like you need some extra tips on cooking these, why not check out our step-by-step video on how to prepare these on our social channels?