[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ny great Cinco de Mayo party has to have at least one delicious Mexican dessert or several. Now some will go for the traditional flan or sweet breads, but you just can’t beat a piping hot churro. This cinnamon sugar dough pastry is the perfect decadent treat to end a fabulous day. Although traditionally deep fried, we opted to bake our churros to cut some of the calories without losing flavor.
Here is how you can make these yummy baked churros for your Cinco de Mayo party.
[large_title title=”Ingredients”]
[ezcol_1third]
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup of water
- 1 1/2-2 cups all-purpose flour
[/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_1third]
- 2-3 eggs
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of cane sugar
- 2-3 tbsp of ground sugar
[/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_1third_end]
- Piping bag or ziplock bag
- Parchment paper
- vegetable or canola oil spray
[/ezcol_1third_end]
[large_title title=”Directions”]
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the butter, salt and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately remove saucepan from the heat.
Gradually add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens.
Next beat in an egg one at a time using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Add the vanilla, and mix until well combined.
If the consistency is too sticky, add a bit more flour (no more than 1/2 cup). Now dust a bit of flour on your work surface and pour out the dough. Start to knead the dough until it loses some of its stickiness.
To make your own cinnamon sugar, simply combine the cane sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until well mixed.
Time to transfer the dough into a pastry bag with a large star tip or a ziplock bag. Tip: If using a ziplock bag, cut the a small corner of the bag, and then fold it in half. With a pair of small scissors, cut tiny triangles on the tip. This will help get that star tip effect.
Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and start to pipe out the churros, leaving 3-4 inches apart.
Lightly spray each churros with cooking spray and then carefully roll each one in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated.
For added effect, take a fork or toothpick and run it down each of the churros to created those classic lines. Put them in the oven and bake them for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Tip: If churros are thick, poke the center with a toothpick. If toothpick comes out clean, then they’re fully cooked.
Sprinkle a bit more cinnamon sugar on top, and serve them hot.
This is the perfect way to end Cinco de mayo after indulging in our healthy potato, longostino and chicken Tacos and our homemade horchata.
