Churros and Chocolate

My family likes anything with cinnamon and chocolate, needless to say this is one of them because it has both ingredients in it.

A churro, sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, is a fried dough pastry, predominantly choux based. They are fried until they become crunchy, and may be sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. The surface of a churro is ridged due to having been piped from a star-shaped nozzle.
Churros are popular in Spain, France, Portugal and the United States. They are normally eaten for breakfast dipped in hot chocolate or cafe con leche.

We ate it everyday when we were in Barcelona because it was sold in every street corner alongside the Tapas restaurants. With a little effort, it is easily replicated at home however. The plate of hot churros will be polished in minutes, I assure you.

                              

Recipe adapted from Donna Hay
Makes more than 50

Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar
110g fine sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Pastry
100g butter
250 ml water
150g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
vegetable oil, for deep frying
Chocolate Sauce
110g dark chocolate pieces
140 ml milk
1 tsp cornflour mixed with a few drops of water

                      
Method
To make the chocolate sauce, place the milk in a small pot, bring it to boil. Lower to a small flame when it is boiled. 
Add the chocolate pieces to the milk and stir till all dissolved. Add in the cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce.
Leave the chocolate sauce in the pot and heat it up when you want to serve it if necessary.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Place the butter and water in another medium saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low.
Add the flour and salt and beat with a wooden spoon until mixtures leaves the sides of the pan.
Remove from heat. Place the mixture into an electric mixer, gradually add the eggs one at a time and beat for 2 minutes or until a smooth dough forms.
Prepare the oil in the pan.
Put the pastry in a piping bag attached with a star-shaped nozzle and pipe 10 cm lengths of the pastry into oil, in batches, using scissors to snip the lengths.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, drain on absorbent paper and toss in the cinnamon sugar to coat.
Serve the churros dipped into the chocolate sauce.
Enjoy!