The process of making churros is easier than most people think. So next time you are craving for the light, airy, and crunchy taste of churros, you will know what to do. :)
In a medium saucepan, combine milk, butter, sugar (1/2 teaspoon/ 3 grams), and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon and let it boil on medium heat.
Remove from the heat then add the flour and mix well. Return the mixture to the heat to dry it out.
Continuously mix with wooden spoon while pressing the edges. Ensure that flour is thoroughly mix and no lumps of uncooked white flour can be seen. You should be looking at a dry but soft mixture.
Transfer mixture into a mixing bowl and let it cool down by using a paddle attachment at low speed. When the mixture is warm add the eggs, one at a time, while mixer is still running at low speed. The dough should be quite firm but still in a pipeable consistency.
Fit a large star piping tip to a pastry bag and fill it with the churro dough.If you’re going to immediately cook the churros, hold the pastry bag straight above the hot oil and pipe the churro dough in about 1.5 inches length. Use scissors to cut the dough, letting the piped churro dough gently drop into the hot oil (refer to step #6). If you wish to cook them at a later time, prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pipe the churro dough into 3-inch or 1.5 inch length (your choice) each. Freeze the piped churro dough for about 1 hour to retain its shape. Take them out later and transfer to a freezer bag.
Deep fry the piped churro dough in a moderately hot oil, at around 175 C/ 350 F until lightly browned. Do this in batches, if necessary. Do not overcrowd the pan. Once cooked, place on a strainer to drain excess oil or pat dry with paper towels.
In a shallow bowl, mix together sugar (50 grams / 1/4 cup) and cinnamon powder. While still warm, roll the fried churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
(Note 1) If you don't have a thermometer to check your oil temperature, start with medium heat then do a test batch to see if the oil is at the right temperature, and adjust the heat from there. You would know that your oil is too hot if the exterior is already browned yet when you bite the churro the dough is still a bit mushy. A churro should be crunchy on the outside and light on the inside. And like doughnuts, they should have puffed up a bit after frying.(Note 2) If cooking from frozen, do not defrost the churros as they might lose their shape. However, I do take them out from the freezer about 10 minutes before frying them.