Churros with Salted Caramel

Prep

20 minutes

Cook

20 minutes

Servings

2 dozen

Level

Medium

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons cinnamon

Churros

  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • 6 Tablespoons Challenge Unsalted Butter
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

Salted Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons Challenge Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon flaky salt

Directions

Cinnamon Sugar

  • 1

    Combine cinnamon and sugar in a wide shallow bowl and stir until well mixed. Set aside.

Churros

  • 2

    Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot 2 inches deep with oil. Attach a thermometer to the pot and heat oil over medium-high heat to 360°F.

  • 3

    While oil heats, make churro dough. Melt butter, ​1 cup water, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Add flour all at once and stir until completely mixed. Cook, stirring constantly, until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pot, about a minute. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool 5 minutes.

  • 4

    Use a handheld mixer to beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the dough is smooth and shiny. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a ¼” star tip and set aside.

  • 5

    When oil is hot, carefully pipe a 6-inch line of batter into the oil and snip the end with kitchen shears. Fry 2-3 at a time for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture while hot. Repeat frying, draining and coating the remaining churro batter. Serve warm with salted caramel sauce.

Salted Caramel Sauce

  • 6

    Heat sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until melted and dark amber in color. Sugar will look crumbly at first; keep stirring. Reduce heat if needed, so all of the sugar clumps can melt without syrup getting too dark.

  • 7

    Whisk in butter until completely melted. Slowly pour in heavy cream (it will bubble up rapidly) and whisk until smooth.

  • 8

    Gently simmer for about 1 minute, whisking to melt all of the caramel and produce a smooth sauce. Stir in vanilla extract and flaky salt. Caramel will thicken as it cools.

  • 9

    Transfer to a bowl and serve warm, with churros.

Notes

  • !

    Store salted caramel sauce, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 month. Gently reheat in the microwave or stove.

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