Active Time

　　30 minutes

　　Total Time

　　30 minutes

　　Churros are a Spanish classic, usually sold in street-side shops and quickly transported home or to a local café to enjoy with thick hot chocolate. They're made with a piece of equipment called a churrera, which is a type of pastry tube.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6

　　1 1/2 to 2 quarts olive (not extra-virgin) or vegetable oil for frying

　　1 (1-inch-wide) strip orange or lemon peel

　　2 cups water

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　2 teaspoons olive oil

　　2 cups all-purpose flour

　　Granulated sugar for sprinkling

　　

Special Equipment

a metal or plastic churrera fitted with a 3/4-inch star opening, and a pair of chopsticks

　　

Prepare frying oil:

Step 1

Heat 2 inches oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven or a wide 4-inch-deep heavy pot over high heat until a deep-fat thermometer registers 400°F (oil will be just beginning to smoke). Drop in citrus peel (oil will bubble vigorously) and leave in oil until browned, about 1 minute. Remove with tongs.

　　

Prepare dough:

Step 2

While oil is heating, bring water with salt to a boil, covered, in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and remove from heat. Immediately add flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until flour and water are combined well (mixture will be stiff and not very smooth). Fill churrera with some hot dough and wrap a kitchen towel around churrera canister to protect your hands.

　　

Make churros:

Step 3

Turn screw handle of churrera until dough emerges from star opening. Holding opening about 2 inches above oil, turn handle to squeeze dough into oil in a continuous stream, making a spiral shape. (Spirals take practice; have a helper coax dough into a spiral in oil with a chopstick, keeping dough away from side of pot. For beginners, small coils or any kind of curvy shape is fine.) Stop when dough stream breaks naturally or pot is full.

　　

Step 4

Cook until underside is golden, about 1 1/2 minutes, and turn over with chopsticks. Then cook until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Transfer churro with chopsticks to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with sugar.

　　

Step 5

Make more churros in same manner, returning oil to 400°F between batches.

　　

Step 6

Break churros into pieces if desired and serve immediately.