Here we are with our second recipe in our baking series with Andrea from Play with Style Blog. This time around we tried our hand at making Churros. I have been wanting to bake these for as long as I can remember (maybe even before my gluten-free days!) Well today was the day, I finally tried a recipe I found on Pinterest from GF Jules
I have to admit, the recipe did not go as planned. I started putting all the ingredients together, everything was looking good, I only had to add a little extra flour to get the dough to thicken but we were doing good, everything was working out perfectly. I put my oil to heat, had my bag ready with the star tip to push those churros into the oil and that’s where I met my first snag. I am not sure if its because my star tip wasn’t big enough or my dough wasn’t thick enough but when I tried pushing the batter into the oil, it turned out like this:
When making the batter, I smelled a smell that reminded me of the Pillbsury Hungry Jacks we used to buy way back when, when we used to go camping in Vermont. They stopped making them a long time ago, but now I think I might have found my solution. I can just make them, and it happened by accident.
Here is what you will need for your recipe:
1 cup + 2 tbsp of milk
7 tbsp of butter
1 cup of flour (I used Bob Red Mills 1:1 gluten-free flour and added about 6 tbsp after)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
mild, high heat oil for frying (or muffin pan if you run into trouble :P)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, salt, 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1 1/2 tbsp of sugar.
Step 2: Heat together the milk and butter in a pan and remove from heat as it starts to boil.
Step 3: Add the butter and milk mixture to your bowl with the flour mix; mix together with a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
Step 4: Allow to cool for about 5 minutes; add one egg at a time, mixing in between as well as adding the vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated. Your dough should be thick and sticky with air pockets but not too thick that it won’t pass through the bag. If it is too thick, add milk (2 tbsp at a time) but if it is too thin add more flour, 2 tbsp at a time.
**at this point, you can either cover and put the dough in the fridge for 24 hours or continue and fry that doughy goodness ** I did not refrigerate mine.
Step 5: Fill a pan or pot with about 3 inches of oil and let it heat (if you have a candy thermometer, it should read 350 degrees. I just put the oil on high heat and once it was really hot, I started putting the batter in. At this point, cover a cooling rack with some paper towels. Also prepare a bowl with the remaining cinnamon and sugar to coat your churros when you are done frying them.
Step 6: Fit a star tip to a piping bag or a large plastic bag and cut the corner out to fit the tip. Fill the bag with your dough mixture and then pipe directly into the pan, cutting off each dough strip with a knife.
Step 7: Fry until light brown and crisp on each side, and then remove the dough and place on your wire rack. Continue piping your batter into the oil and then transfer the cooked churros to a tray with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Toss gently when slightly cooled and voila!
Now because my recipe did not turn out quite how I expected, I just put my batter into a muffin pan, turned my oven on at 325 degrees and put them in for about 20 minutes (until they were golden brown). Once they cooled a little, I melted some butter, put it on top of each and added the cinnamon sugar mixture. Honestly these taste divine and I will definitely be making them again.
Just a reminder, recipes might not always turn out how you want them to, that’s life isn’t it? but no reason to not change the plan as you go. These turned out even better than I thought and I couldn’t be happier.
Let us know if you decide to try and make your own! And do let me know if you try the churros or the Hungry Jacks version!
