Five Spice Churros Recipes

BAKED CHURROS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
• Combine water, butter, brown sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and the mixture starts to boil. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour until completely incorporated and the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Whisk eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Add to the dough and stir until completely incorporated. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch open-star tip. (Alternatively, if using a 1-quart sealable plastic bag, fill it with dough and seal almost completely, leaving a small opening for air to escape from the top as you squeeze. Snip off a bottom corner, making a 3/4-inch-wide opening.) Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet to make 12 churros, each 4 inches long.
• Bake the churros, turning once halfway, until puffed and browned, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Combine sugar and cinnamon on a shallow plate. Roll the hot churros in the mixture and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

CHURROS

Steps:

• For the coating whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish, set aside.
• Heat about 1 1/2 inches vegetable oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. While oil is heating prepare batter.
• Add water, butter, sugar and salt to a large saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Add flour reduce heat to medium-low and cook and stir constantly with a rubber spatula until mixture comes together and is smooth (a few lumps in it are fine).
• Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, let cool 5 minutes.
• Add vanilla and egg to flour mixture then blend immediately with an electric mixer. Blend until mixture comes together and is smooth (it will separate at first but keep mixing it will come together).
• Transfer to a 16-inch piping bag fitted with a rounded star tip (no bigger than 1/2-inch). I recommend using the Ateco 845 or 846.
• Carefully pipe mixture into preheated oil, into about 6-inch lengths, cut end with clean scissors.
• Let fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to dry briefly then transfer to cinnamon sugar mixture and roll to coat.
• Repeat process with remaining dough (frying no more than 5 at once). Serve warm with chocolate ganache or caramel sauce for dipping if desired.

FIVE-SPICE SNICKERDOODLES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 400˚. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon each five-spice powder and cinnamon, the baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until combined. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until combined.
• Mix the red sanding sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each five-spice powder and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough into balls (about 2 tablespoons each), then roll them in the red sugar. Arrange 3 inches apart on 2 unlined baking sheets.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies spread, crackle in the centers and are lightly golden around the edges, 9 to 12 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the pans, then remove the cookies to racks to cool completely.

CHURROS WITH MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE SPICE MIX

Steps:

• Preheat a deep-fryer or place the vegetable oil into a medium pot over medium-high heat until the oil is 350 degrees F.
• Place the butter, brown sugar, Mexican vanilla extract, salt and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a whisk to combine thoroughly and quickly. Lower the heat to low and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one. Once both are added, stir vigorously until the dough is homogenous. Place in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Combine the granulated sugar, turbinado sugar, cacao nibs, Mexican cinnamon, flaky salt and chipotle powder in a bowl and pour onto a quarter-sheet tray or shallow dish. Set aside.
• Carefully pipe the dough mixture into the oil, cutting when each piece is 5 inches long, and cook in batches, separating to prevent sticking with tongs or a spider, until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from the oil and place on a tray lined with a paper towel to drain. While still hot, transfer to the sugar mixture and roll until thoroughly coated. Repeat with the remaining dough and serve immediately.
• As street food, these would be served in a heavy paper cone. At home, they can be served in a coffee cup standing up or in a small short vase.

CHURRO CAKE WITH SPICED CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10-cup Bundt pan, making sure to get in all the crevices; dust with flour and tap out the excess. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the egg yolks. Beat in the sour cream until combined. (The batter may look curdled.) Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk; beat until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and tap the bottom of the pan against the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pan; loosen the edge of the cake with a wooden skewer and invert onto the rack to cool completely.
• Make the cinnamon sugar topping: Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Working in sections, brush the cake with the melted butter. Hold the cake over the bowl and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, pressing to adhere.
• Make the spiced chocolate sauce: Combine the half-and-half, brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, chile powder and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Serve the cake with the spiced chocolate sauce.

HOMEMADE CHURROS

Steps:

• For the churros: In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the butter, sugar and salt to the water and stir until the butter is melted, the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is returned to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl until combined.
• Turn off the heat. Using a heatsafe rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until it's evenly saturated and coming together in a smooth ball. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Use the spatula to break up the dough into small pieces in the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, work your way around the bowl incorporating the chunks of dough, egg and vanilla. The mixture will be lumpy at first. After 5 minutes of mixing, it should be evenly hydrated and smooth.
• Transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip. Note: A quart container or large cup is very useful to have standing by, since you will be picking up and putting down your pastry bag quite a bit.
• For the coating: In a baking dish or large bowl, add the sugar, cinnamon and salt. This will be used to coat the churros, so make sure the vessel is large enough that a churro can lay flat in the sugar mixture.
• To a large heavy-bottomed pot, add 1 1/2 to 2 inches of vegetable oil. Set over medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer registers 350 degrees F.
• Reduce the heat to medium and using your pastry bag, pipe four 5-inch-long churros directly into the oil. Use kitchen shears or a paring knife to cut off the dough from the piping bag so that it will fall into the hot oil. (The churros should not feel crowded; the number you can cook at a time will vary depending on your pot size.) Cook until the outsides are dark golden brown and the insides are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. The churros should be a dark golden color before you flip them. Periodically check your thermometer and increase or decrease the heat as needed to keep your oil at 350 degrees F.
• When the churros are dark golden on both sides, lift them out with tongs and place on a rack to cool slightly and drain excess oil. While they are still warm, toss them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture so they have a nice even coating. Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FIVE SPICE

Steps:

• Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add spices and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool. If using the whole spices for a braise, they are ready to go.
• To make the spices into a powder, use a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle to grind the spices until fine. If you like, you can strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any coarse bits, but this is optional. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

CHURROS

Steps:

• Boil the kettle, then measure 300ml boiling water into a jug and add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking powder into a big mixing bowl with a big pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the contents of the jug and very quickly beat into the flour with a wooden spoon until lump-free. Rest for 10-15 mins while you make the sauce.
• Put all the sauce ingredients into a pan and gently melt together, stirring occasionally until you have a smooth shiny sauce. Keep warm on a low heat.
• Fill a large deep saucepan one-third full of oil. Cooking with hot oil can be dangerous - before you start, read up on how to deep-fry safely to avoid accidents in the kitchen. Heat until a cube of bread browns in 45 seconds to 1 min. Cover a tray with kitchen paper and mix the caster sugar and cinnamon together.
• Fit a star nozzle to a piping bag - 1.5-2cm wide is a good size. Fill with the rested dough, then pipe 2-3 strips directly into the pan, snipping off each dough strip with a pair of kitchen scissors. Fry until golden brown and crisp. Be very careful here - if air bubbles form in the churros they can explode, especially if the oil overheats or you use old flour. Cooking with hot oil can be dangerous - before you start, read up on how to deep-fry safely to avoid accidents in the kitchen. Keep children out of the kitchen and protect yourself by wearing long sleeves and eye protection, and keeping your face away from the pan.
• Once the churros are crisp and golden brown, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the kitchen paper-lined tray. Carry on cooking the rest of the dough in batches, sprinkling the cooked churros with some cinnamon sugar as you go. When you've cooked all the churros, toss with any remaining cinnamon sugar and serve with the chocolate sauce, for dipping.To see a video of how to prepare churros, take a look at our churros ice cream sandwich recipe.

PUMPKIN SPICE CHURROS WITH SALTED MAPLE CARAMEL DIP

Steps:

• Pour maple syrup into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring with a spoon, until syrup starts to coat the spoon and has a caramel-like consistency, about 15 minutes.
• Whisk 1/4 cup butter into the syrup until melted, about 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and salt, whisking constantly to combine. Pour sauce into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mostly cooled, about 15 minutes.
• Whisk flour and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice together in a small bowl.
• Whisk the remaining 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and white sugar together in a large bowl to make pumpkin spice sugar.
• Combine water, pumpkin puree, 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk thoroughly. Bring to a boil; add the flour mixture. Cook and stir vigorously until dough is thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Transfer dough to the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Beat until cool, about 1 minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding the next. Beat until dough is glossy and thick.
• Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a large, heavy pot to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Test the oil with a small squeeze of dough; churro should float to the top of the oil and brown on the bottom in about 30 seconds. Adjust the heat if necessary.
• Pipe roughly 3-inch strips of dough into the oil, keeping the tip of your pastry bag 1 to 2 inches above the oil. Fry until golden, brown, about 30 seconds per side.
• Drain churros on paper towels for 1 minute; toss in the pumpkin spice sugar until evenly coated. Serve warm with the salted maple caramel sauce.