I don’t believe it! I sat outside a Spanish cafe today and watched in amazement as many customers ordered churros con chocolate. The temperature at the time was 40 celsius. Now i am a big fan of this ubiquitous Spanish snack. But i have it in winter to warm the extremities. And yet, summer after summer, i see the Spanish tucking into churros con chocolate while simultaneously fanning themselves. Why?
My Spanish friend Kati, no stranger to a sweet tooth herself, says: “Churros are great at any time of the year. They are just as tasty, and fattening, in the summer as in the depths of winter. They also restore sugar lost by the body in high temperatures. You should have some water on the side to drink alongside the hot chocolate. Don’t forget, it’s proven that churros con chocolate are the favourite cure for a hangover in Spain. That’s what most of Spain was eating the morning after Spain won the World Cup.”
So a serving of churros con chocolate has curing qualities. That’s a new one on me.
You can make your own churros. They are only pastry after all. A recipe to help you make your own churros con chocolate follows. It’s a recipe for four people – or two very greedy ones!
Ingredients for the churros:- 250 mils of water, 125 grams of butter, 200 grams of flour, 1 egg, i piece of lemon rind, 4 tablespoons of sugar, quarter of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, oil for frying.
Ingredients for the chocolate:- 250 grams of dark chocolate (chopped), 300 mils of milk, 1 tablespoon of corn flour.
What to do for the churros:- Bring the water, lemon rind and butter to the boil. Remove the lemon rind and add the flour, stirring well over a low heat and until the mixture comes away from the sides clearly and forms a ball. Remove from the heat. Beat in the whole egg and continue beating until thick and smooth. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and with a fluted tube. Heat the oil and squeeze 4 inch strips of dough into hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown , turning once, for 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and serve with hot chocolate.
How to make the hot chocolate:- Place the chopped chocolate and half the milk in a saucepan and heat gently, sitrring, until the chocolate has melted. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate. Cook over a gentle flame for around 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until the chocolate has thickened. Add extra cornstarch if it fails to thicken after 5 minutes. Pour into cups and get dipping your churros into the chocolate. Lovely!
