serves
6
prep
10 minutes
cook
20 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
10
minutes
cooking
20
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) full-cream (whole) milk
- 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) sugar
- 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) dark chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids), broken into large pieces
Churros
- 250 g (9 oz) unsalted butter
- 240 g (8½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 eggs
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Instructions
1. To make the churros, heat the butter and 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) water in a saucepan over high heat. When the mixture boils, reduce the heat to a medium simmer and, using a wooden spoon, stir through 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the vanilla extract. Add the flour and stir constantly until the mixture forms a smooth, thick dough that comes away easily from the side of the pan. Remove from the heat and stir through the eggs until well combined and smooth.
2. While the mixture is still warm, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The mixture can be made a day in advance, but remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
3. To cook the churros, half fill a medium saucepan with vegetable oil and place over medium heat. The oil is ready when a pinch of dough dropped into the oil sizzles on contact. Place the remaining sugar in a bowl.
4. Pipe 12-15 cm (4¾ in–6 in) lengths of the dough into the oil and fry for 3–4 minutes, until golden. Using a slotted spoon or wire spider, remove the churros from the oil and drain on paper towel. Quickly toss in the sugar to coat while still warm and repeat with the remaining dough to make 12–14 churros.
5. Meanwhile, combine the milk, cornflour and sugar in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until almost boiling. When the milk starts to thicken, pour into six heatproof glasses. Divide the chocolate into six and serve alongside the warm milk mixture. Each person can then drop their ‘submarine’ of chocolate into the warm milk mixture and watch it submerge. Stir to dissolve any remaining chocolate.
6. Serve the warm churros with the hot chocolate.
Recipe from The Food of Argentina by Ross Dobson and Rachel Tolosa Paz, Smith Street Books, RRP $44.99
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
