Homemade Churros with Cardamom and Chocolate
Description
Homemade Mexican churros are a romantic treat you can make anytime with this recipe including cinnamon-cardamom sugar for dusting and richly flavored dark chocolate for dipping.
Ingredients
•
1/2 cup water
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2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
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1 tablespoon white sugar
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1/2 tablespoon salt
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1/2 cup all-purpose flour
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1 1/2 cups grapeseed oil for frying, or as needed
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4 tablespoons heavy cream
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1 (2 ounce) bar dark chocolate (70%)
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2 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella®)
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter
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1 tablespoon white sugar
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1/2 teaspoon ground coffee beans
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8 cardamom pods, seeded and hulls discarded
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1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
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1 star anise pod
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1/2 cup white sugar
Directions
1
Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add vegetable oil, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine. Add flour and turn off heat. Stir continuously and vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough balls up and follows your spoon around the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside to cool when dough feels firm and supple.
2
Heat 3/4- to 1 inch of grapeseed oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
3
While oil heats, combine heavy cream, dark chocolate, chocolate-hazelnut spread, butter, sugar, and ground coffee in a pan set over lowest heat. Stir often to ensure even melting, 3 to 5 minutes.
4
Grease the inside of a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Insert dough and squeeze it all the way to the bottom of the bag.
5
Insert the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil heating in the pot; if it bubbles steadily, the oil is ready. Carefully squeeze dough out of the bag directly into the hot oil, cutting it off at 6-inch lengths. You can also pipe lengths of dough onto parchment paper and transfer them to the oil by hand. Do not crowd the pot.
6
Fry churros, turning every minute, for 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer fried churros to a dish lined with paper towels.
7
Place cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, and star anise in a spice grinder and blend to a fine powder. Transfer to a wide dish and add sugar. Mix well to combine.
8
Toss warm churros into the cinnamon-cardamom sugar. Serve alongside a dipping cup of the chocolate sauce.