Churro – Bead Yarn & Spatula

How have you been spending your extra time at home? I have done my fair share of crafting and of course some baking and cooking. Granted, some of my baking and cooking has been limited to what I have on hand. I am definitely not running to the store to pick up any missing ingredients for recipes I want to try like I used to. Thankfully I always have a few bags of flour and sugar on hand as well as some other baking basics. There have been a few recipes that have made it to the top of my baking to-do lists. Specifically those from companies that are releasing recipes to their signature treats. With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I decided to make Disney’s Churro Bites that they recently released the recipe to on their blog.

I began by prepping the dough. In a medium saucepan I combined water, butter, salt and cinnamon and brought the mixture to a boil over medium heat. I then reduced the heat to low and added in flour and stirred it until the mixture formed into a ball. Next, I removed the pot from the heat and let it cool for about 7 minutes. Once the dough was cooled I added in three eggs one at a time. It’s important to let the dough cool before adding the eggs so the eggs don’t cook.

After the eggs were well incorporated into the dough I transferred it to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip – I used a Wilton 1M Tip.

Finally it was time to fry the churros. I heated oil in a cast iron skillet and once it reached 350 F I began piping the dough into the hot oil and used a knife to cut the dough. Once they were golden brown I removed them from the oil using a slotted spoon and drained them on a baking sheet I lined with paper towels. After letting them drain for a few minutes I then tossed them in a cinnamon sugar mixture.

And while the churros can be enjoyed on their own thanks to their cinnamon sugar coating, they are even better with dipping sauces. I made a quick and easy raspberry sauce (I simply melted raspberry jam with fresh lemon juice) and a milk chocolate sauce to dip them in.

Disney Park Churros

Servings: 4-6
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Ingredients:

1 cup water

8 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

1 1/4 cups flour

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Directions:

Prep a large baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon and set aside.

Combine the water, butter, salt and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Heat the ingredients over medium heat, bringing the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and add in the flour and stir until the mixture forms a ball. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5-7 minutes.

While the dough is cooling, heat the oil in a Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat until it reaches 350 F.

Add the eggs one at a time to the dough and stir until combined.

Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the dough into 1-inch strips into the hot oil. Cutting the dough with a knife. Repeat this until the churros have filled the pot, but, they still have enough room to fry in the oil. The churros will be done once they are a golden brown. Remove the churros from the hot oil using a slotted spoon and drain on the prepared baking sheet.

While the churros are still warm toss them in the cinnamon sugar.

Enjoy the churros on their own or dipped in your favorite sauce.

Recipe from Disney

Raspberry Sauce

Servings: About 1 cup
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Ingredients:

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Combine the jam and lemon juice in small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir to combine and continue stirring until the jam has melted and the two ingredients have combined.

Milk Chocolate Sauce

Servings: About 2 Cups
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Ingredients:

3/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cups evaporated milk

Directions:

Place the chocolate chips, butter and cinnamon in small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the chocolate chips and butter has melted. Stir in the sugar.

Slowly add in the evaporated milk and then bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer the chocolate sauce for about 8-10 minutes, constantly stirring. The sauce will thicken as it simmers.

With Cinco de Mayo just a few days away (and it falling on the weekend this year) you may be searching for some fun and delicious recipes to make. If you’re thinking of making churros but aren’t keen on the idea of having to fry them or just want a fun alternative how about a Churro Cake with a Spiced Chocolate Sauce for drizzling over it. And don’t worry, you will still have the cinnamon sugar coating that makes a churro extra yummy.

I began by combining my dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt – in a medium bowl and setting it aside. In the bowl of my stand mixer I beat butter, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until it was light and fluffy – about five minutes. I then added in four eggs and two egg yolks, one at a time. And finally I beat in sour cream. With the mixer on low, I added in the flour mixture in three parts alternating with milk. Once the mixtures were combined I poured it into a Bundt pan that I sprayed with baking spray. I tapped the pan down on my counter a few times to release any air bubbles and then baked it in a 350 F preheated oven for about 50 minutes. Once the cake was done I let it sit in the pan for about 10 minutes and then inverted it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake was cool I placed it along with the cooling rack over a large bowl. I combined cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set it aside. In another small bowl I melted three tablespoons of unsalted butter in the microwave. Next, using a pastry brush, I brushed sections of the cake with the melted butter and then sprinkled the cinnamon-sugar mix over the section. Pressing the mixture on to the cake to adhere it. Hence me placing the rack over a large bowl, any excess melted butter and cinnamon sugar mixture simply fell into the bowl, making for an easier clean-up. You want to do this in sections, if you simply brush the entire cake and then tried sprinkling it with the cinnamon sugar it will not adhere to the cake as well (or at all) since the butter will seep into the cake.

Next, I made the chocolate sauce to go along with the cake. I combined half and half, chile powder, dark brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan. I brought it to a simmer over medium heat and then removed it from the heat and added in semi-sweet chocolate chips. I let the mixture stand for a few minutes and then stirred it until it was smooth.

The best way to eat this… With the chocolate sauce drizzled over the cake. YUM! This cake was hit amongst my friends with some of us going back for seconds and practically drenching the cake with the sauce – it’s that GOOD!

Churro Cake with a Spiced Chocolate Sauce

Servings: 12
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Ingredients:

For the Cake:

2 3/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup whole milk

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Spiced Chocolate Sauce:

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon chile powder**

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*

*original recipe called for 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

**If you want your sauce to have more of a kick add in 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of chile powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prep a Bundt pan by spraying it with baking spray (or brushing it with butter and then coating it with flour).

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a handheld mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then the egg yolks. Beat in the sour cream. Reduce the speed to low and add in the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the milk. Beat until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula and then place in the oven for about 50 – 55 minutes. Until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then loosen the edges with your cake tested or butter knife and invert the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled make the topping.

Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Place the cake along with the rack over a large bowl. Working in sections, brush the cake with the melted butter and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the cake, pressing to adhere it to the cake.

To make the spiced chocolate sauce combine all of the ingredients, minus the chocolate chips, in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add in the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 2 minutes and then stir until smooth.

Serve the cake with the spiced chocolate sauce.

Recipe from Food Network