Churros con Chocolate

The Story

Churros came to Mexico from Spain and made themselves right at home. Today you will find them at street carts and corner churrerías, fried to order and handed over still too hot to hold.

The real treat is the chocolate. Mexican chocolate is sweet, a little grainy and full of cinnamon, and here it is cooked into a cup thick enough to coat a churro on the way out. Dunk without shame.

Steps

1. Stir the 1/2 cup of sugar and the cinnamon together in a shallow dish and set it near the stove.
2. Pour oil into a heavy pot until it is at least 2 inches deep and heat it to 360°F (182°C).
3. Meanwhile, bring the water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, the salt and the butter to a boil in a saucepan. Take it off the heat, add the flour all at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute, until the dough pulls into a ball.
4. Let the dough cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth and glossy. It looks broken at first; keep beating.
5. Spoon the dough into a piping bag with a large open star tip. The ridges help the churros fry evenly and keep them from bursting.
6. Pipe 5-inch lengths straight into the hot oil, snipping each off with scissors. Fry 3 or 4 at a time, turning once, until deep golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Lift them onto paper towels for a few seconds, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar while they are still hot.
8. For the chocolate, heat the milk in a small pot until it steams. Add the chocolate and whisk until melted. Stir the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of water, whisk it in and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until it coats a spoon. Pour into cups and dunk away.