This post has been created in partnership with Food Thoughts.

If you grew up in Spain, churros were definitely a regular in your house, whether it was the frozen ones from the supermarket, the ones from the little shop around the corner, or the ones served in coffee shops, we all grew up with a plate of churros and usually a big mug of hot chocolate or chocolate a la taza. So today I am recreating what is probably one of the most traditional Spanish sweets and a great crowd pleaser.

Chocolate con churros

Before writing this post I had a look at the origin of churros, they are a staple of many cuisines, not only the Spanish way, and I wanted to find out where the original recipe came from. Funnily enough, my research ended quickly when I read that their origin is unknown, some say they came all the way from China brought by the Portuguese, others say that it was actually the Spanish farmers who created them as a substitute for bread. Either way, they are incredibly popular in Spain and a massive staple of our sweet cuisine, and it always comes with a side of hot chocolate, making it a super warming and comforting treat.

So, what are they made of?

Like with any traditional recipe with a lot of history, churros are incredibly easy to make and require very little ingredients. I feel like in the modern times people have tried to change the recipe and perhaps complicate it a lot by adding things like eggs and large amounts of butter to them, however, the traditional recipe only calls for 4 main ingredients: flour, water, salt and oil. I did get a little bit creative and added additional sugar and butter to the dough, after trying them without it I found that they needed something extra, and after trying, I noticed that the butter added extra moisture and the sugar a little bit of sweetness.

Chocolate con churros

Ingredients:

For the churros:

• 250 ml of water
• 2 tsp of butter
• A pinch of salt
• 250 gr of plain flour
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• Extra sugar to taste to dust the churros
• 500 ml of vegetable oil (I used sunflower)

For the chocolate

• 200 gr of chocolate chips, I used Food Thoughts Oat Mylk Chocolate Chips
• 500 ml of whole milk
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• Sugar (optional, to be added to taste)

Method:

1. Start by making the churros, in a large pot cook the water, salt and butter over medium heat until the water starts to boil and the butter has melted.
2. While this is happening, in a bowl mix the flour and sugar. Set aside.
3. Once the water is boiling and the butter melted, remove it from the heat and pour the flour and sugar mix over the water mixing with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a thick paste.
4. Once it’s all mixed, put the mix into a piping back with a large curved start nozzle (mine was 3J), if you don’t have a large one, you can use a smaller one, your churros will simply be thinner. Since the dough is quite thick, I would advise adding it in small batches to the piping bag, otherwise it may be hard for it to come out and it may break your bag. I found that pipping in small batches and double bagging was the best way for me.
5. Preheat the oil in a large pan. Once you think is hot, take some excess dough and add it to the oil, once it starts making big bubbles it means the oil is ready. Add your churros to the pan making sure the are not too cramped and they have space to cook.
6. While they are cooking, line a tray or a plate with kitchen paper and fill a plate with granulated sugar.
7. Cook the churros until golden and transfer to the lined tray, the kitchen paper will soak any excess oil, then, carefully transfer to the plate with the sugar and roll them in the sugar until covered. Do this carefully and using tongs as they will be hot.
8. Once the churros are ready make the hot chocolate. Heat up the milk over medium heat, if you want to add sugar, this is the moment to do it. Once the milk is warm, add in the chocolate and vanilla extract. Stir frequently using a wooden spoon or a whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and has blended with the milk. Cook until the mix starts boiling and then take off the heat. If you want it to be thicker, place back on the stove and allow to boil again and take off the heat as soon as it starts boiling, be very careful that it doesn’t burn.
9. Enjoy the churros hot or cold with a big mug of hot chocolate!