As many of you know, the 6th of May is a special day for those who may have imbibed a bit too much on the 5th of May...they devote themselves to nursing hangovers and dealing with the (gassy) consequences of one too many chalupas or maybe they're still puking tequila and gorditas in the parking lot of Taco Time! (Which is what we witnessed this morning! I'm sure the Taco Time people loved that endorsement!) It's undoubtedly a big $$$ day for Pepto Bismol and Rolaids - the mister certainly downed his share last night even though the most spicy thing he ate all day were homemade Churros, which were not spicy at all!
If you haven't made Churros before, there's no time like the present! You can have a warm and crispy plate-full in under half an hour and they will fly off the plate in under half a minute!
Churros are a great snack all by themselves but with vanilla ice cream they are a great dessert and with yogurt they are a great breakfast...oh, they're not the least bit healthy but what they lack in nutrition they surely make up for in taste! After the Churro batter is made, you fill a plastic bag with a star decorating tip, which is the only special thing needed to make Churros. If you put your plastic bag inside a tall glass, the glass will hold the bag upright for you so you can easily fill it - then you'll be ready to make Churros!
The Churros fry up quickly, about 30 seconds on each side. After they drain on paper toweling for just a bit, they get tossed into a plastic bag where they are gently coated with cinnamon sugar...crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside...so, so good.
Churros you buy at the ball-park/street fairs or in Mexican restaurants are usually always straight...I had trouble with that, the batter would squeeze out and then curl! Speaking of squeezing, I may have mentioned I have a dress to squeeze into in the near future...I managed to block that from my mind until after I had downed a half dozen Churros...so I suppose I'm in the same boat as those who drank themselves stupid yesterday...I ate myself stupid, but unlike those who are hungover today, who will be fine manana...I will be doing the walk of shame in and out of my closet until my Churro pounds come off! But they were so good!
Churros - Adapted From "Mexican Crullers" Churros by Daisy Martinez
1 cup water
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 to 5 eggs
Canola oil, for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup water , the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt over medium-high heat until the edges of the liquid start to bubble. Add the flour all at once and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until well mixed and no lumps of flour remain. Remove from heat. Add 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each. The dough should look soft and glossy and keep a "hook" shape when the spoon is pulled from the dough. If not, beat in the last egg. Scrape the dough into a pastry bag (or a Zip-Lock style plastic bag) fitted with a large star tip. Pour enough Canola oil into a deep heavy skillet to fill 1-inch. Heat over medium-high heat until the top of the handle of a wooden spoon gives off a slow steady stream of tiny bubbles. Carefully pipe the dough into the oil, forming 6-inch Churros. Pipe about 3 at a time, overcrowding will result in soggy Churros. Fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 20 to 30 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels.
Put the sugar and cinnamon into a paper or plastic bag. Close the bag and shake well to mix. Drop in a few Churros at a time and shake until coated with cinnamon-sugar. Makes about 12 to 15 Churros.
