Recipe Re:View - Churro Bites with Chocolate Sauce

The Disney Parks Blog has been putting up lots of recipes for Disney foodies and fans who are missing the Happiest Place on Earth. Since we can't get Tio Pepe's frozen churros (the brand sold at Disneyland) in Colorado, I figured reviewing this recipe was the next best thing.

Making the batter was easy to make following the instructions but a bit of an arm workout when adding the eggs since it cooled down a bit too much perhaps. I would definitely mix the eggs in at the 5 minute mark unless you're skipping arm day.

My favorite thing about this recipe was the instruction to fry the churro bites in a 1 quart sauce pan. I used my smallest sauce pan with 1.5 cups of oil and my trust deep fry thermometer. No wasted oil, significantly easier clean-up, and no mess! You can't fry larger churros in a small pan but for the bite-sized version they totally hit the mark with the pot to oil ratio. I piped the churro bites with a 1M tip about 1.5 to 2 inches long and cut them off the tip with a knife. Piping directly over the oil eliminated splashes completely.  I tried to keep the oil between 320-350 degrees so the churros fried in 2-3 minutes with 3-6 in the pot.

This recipe makes enough for sharing - I gave a piping bag full of batter to a friend - and fed my husband an entire plate. These sweet, little things deserved something spicy so I made a chocolate dipping sauce infused with vanilla and cinnamon. Side note: don't leave milk chocolate chips on the counter directly above your dishwasher otherwise they will melt (these chips might have been destined for cookies otherwise)!

I love this recipe. So far the Disney chefs have been releasing some good stuff... I'll keep you posted as they release more. 

Churro Bites with Mexican Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (coating)

Chocolate Sauce

•  3/4 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (5 oz) can of evaporated milk

Instructions

1. Combine water, butter, salt, and cinnamon in 1 ½-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring pot to rolling boil.
2. Reduce heat to low.
3. Add flour and stir vigorously until mix forms a ball. Remove from heat and let rest for 5-7 min.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, and stir until combined. Set aside.
5. Heat oil in medium skillet or 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat or until temperature reaches 350˚.
6. Spoon dough into piping bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe 1-inch strip of dough over saucepan, cut with knife, and drop into hot oil. Repeat until churro bites fill saucepan with room to fry. 
7. Fry churro bites until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon or mesh spider strainer.
8. Drain churro bites on paper towel.
9. Mix sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl. Toss in churro bites until coated. Place on serving plate and serve with favorite dipping sauce.
10. For chocolate sauce: melt chocolate and butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low eat. Whisk until smooth. Add cinnamon and vanilla and stir until combined. Alternate adding sugar and evaporated milk whisking constantly until smooth, simmer on low for 5-8 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.