Churros con Chocolate (Fried Dough with Hot Chocolate)

Cinnamon sugar

• 120 g Caster sugar
• 2 tsp Ground cinnamon

Churros

• 250 ml Water
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• 160 g Plain flour
• 900 ml Sunflower oil

Thick hot chocolate

• 500 ml Whole milk
• 180 g Dark baking chocolate
• 18 g Cornflour
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

1. Make the cinnamon sugar: mix the caster sugar and ground cinnamon in a wide bowl or shallow dish and set aside.
2. Make the hot chocolate: pour most of the whole milk into a saucepan and warm over a low to medium heat until steaming. Finely chop the dark baking chocolate, add it to the milk, and whisk until melted and smooth.
3. Whisk the cornflour into the remaining cold milk until completely smooth, then whisk it into the chocolate. Cook over a low heat, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon; stir in the vanilla extract and keep warm on the lowest heat.
4. Make the churros dough: bring the water and fine sea salt to the boil in a saucepan. Tip in the plain flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms and a thin film appears on the base of the pan.
5. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and leave for 5 minutes so it is warm rather than piping hot. Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
6. Heat the sunflower oil in a deep, heavy pot to 180°C (355°F). Pipe 10 to 12 cm lengths of dough into the oil, snipping each one off cleanly, and fry in batches for 3 to 5 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp.
7. Lift the churros out with a slotted spoon and let excess oil drip back into the pot for a few seconds. While still hot, roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat.
8. Serve the churros straight away with the thick hot chocolate for dipping. If the chocolate thickens too much as it stands, whisk briefly over a low heat until smooth again.

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