Make your own churros

It’s February, and Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. I must say, the day is way too sweet for me. For all of you happily in love: couldn’t you celebrate said love on one of the other 364 days of the year? It’s absolutely impossible to escape the pink and red hearts this time of year, the chocolates, flowers, cards, advertisements. Love is in the air, and everyone knows it. 

Come to think of it, seeing a perfect couple together is heart-warming. Yes, something to celebrate. This Valentine’s talk has gotten me thinking about one of the best couples I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. I’m not talking about my parents, or my neighbors, or Brangelina. I’m talking about chocolate and churros. 

Having chocolate and churros is a ritual in Spain that can happen at breakfast time or in the afternoon before dinner (“merienda”). This ritual is usually performed in coffee shops, with friends, over deep conversations. 

It is, in fact, the perfect Valentine’s Day food, whether you’re sharing it with a lover or friends. The traditional way to eat churros is with thick, rich chocolate. It should have the consistency of Nutella – imagine dipping a hot churro into that. Mmm... But I actually prefer having mine with coffee. You can try it with mocha to keep the chocolate theme, or have it with any kind of coffee. 

The churros couldn’t be easier to make. You only need four common ingredients, probably all of which you already have. Now get out that flour and go!

INGREDIENTS

Makes 24 churros

• 3 cups of water

• 3 cups of flour (You can vary the amounts, but the proportion of water to flour should be equal.)

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder 

• A pinch of salt

PREPARATION

Mix the flour with the salt and the baking powder. Heat the water. When it boils take it off the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir until the dough is detached from the walls of the pan you’re using. This needs to be done without adding any heat to the mixture. Let it rest for a couple of minutes until the dough gets a little colder and then fill the pastry bag.

On a dry and clean surface make the churros and let them cool down before you cut them.

Normally they are around 12 cm, but it is totally up to you.

Heat the oil in a pan; remember that they need to be deep-fried. The temperature of the oil can be tested by throwing in a small bit of the dough. If it gets dark very quickly it is too hot. If it doesn’t “dance” in the oil, it is too cold. Try to maintain the temperature during the process by not adding too many churros at the same time. As soon as they are golden and crunchy on the outside, take them and put them on a paper towel or newspaper to soak the excess oil. Sparkle sugar on top and eat them hot.