Puff Pastry Baked Churros Recipe ('Cheater Churros') (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between choux pastry and churros? ›

The churro dough is basically a choux pastry (or paté a choux) which is the same used to make gougeres and eclairs. The difference is that instead of being baked, it is fried in this case. The dough itself is pretty bland, but the roll in cinnamon-sugar makes up for that.

Don't attempt any crazy heights, it's best to hold the churro maker just a few inches away from the oil to avoid getting burned by splashing oil. Oil disposal. Don't throw away your empty oil container just yet! Pouring hot oil down your kitchen sink can actually damage your pipes.

To check all those boxes, it's important to fry your churros in very hot oil. 400°F (204°C) oil provides the heat necessary to brown and crisp the outsides of the churros while also creating almost-instant steam inside of them. Thus we get crispy churros that are not oil-logged and have a light texture.

Churros are made with simple choux pastry dough – the same dough used for Eclairs, Cream Puffs and Zeppole Donuts. The churro dough is piped directly into hot oil then rolled and generously coated in cinnamon sugar.

To understand why choux is twice-cooked, it's important to know that choux needs lots of moisture: it's the steam generated by its high water content that causes it to swell and puff so much (there's no baking soda, baking powder, yeast, beaten egg whites, or any other leavening agent to help give it extra lift).

Tips For Making Churros

Make sure you have the right piping tip. You'll need Wilton tip 8B. The 1M tip will work too. We didn't have the right tip, so the shape was a little funky, which made the texture not quite right.

The star tip will give your churros their signature grooved surface. A 1/4" star is typically included in a basic pastry set; this will yield churros about 3/4" in diameter. If you're looking for fatter, 1" churros, use a wider star tip.

In terms of the nutritional aspects of churros, they do contain some protein and fiber, but it's important to note that these are offset by the high sugar and fat content. Instead, focusing on nutrient-dense, low-carb foods will be more beneficial for your overall health and wellness.

They never seem to need an exact amount of time, their golden brown color will let you know when each side is done. If undercooked they'll seem raw in the center so wait for that golden brown shade. Let the churros drain on paper towels just briefly before you add them to the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Everyone uses boiling water in their dough – as with richer choux pastries, it's necessary to heat the flour and water together, so the starch molecules gelatinise, thereby thickening the batter so it sets solid enough to keep its shape while still containing enough moisture to expand in the heat of the fryer.

Why are my churros raw in the middle? ›

If you notice they are raw on the inside, pop them back in the pan to fry an additional minute or two. If the exterior of the churro is dark but the inside is still raw the oil might be too hot, which leads to uneven cooking of the dough. Make sure the dough stays around 360°F.

Churros Ingredients

Sugar: White sugar goes into the churro dough and into the cinnamon-sugar topping. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. Oil: You'll need vegetable oil for the dough and to fry the churros. Flour: All-purpose flour gives the churro dough structure.

In Spain, churros can either be thin (and sometimes knotted) or long and thick, where they are known as porras (or jeringos in some regions). They are normally eaten for breakfast dipped in coffee, or in hot chocolate for afternoon snack.

Unlike doughnut dough, churro batter doesn't need proving, it's ready as soon as you've mixed it together. And unlike choux pastry, it is a forgiving dough, that doesn't require you to judge the texture or add the egg in tiny increments.

Unlike short crust, flaky or puff pastry, choux pastry dough is made from water and flour which is further enriched and lightened through the incorporation of eggs while beating the paste. Baking results in a crisp shell with a thin, moist lining of cooked paste and a hollow centre.

Did you know that churros are made from the same dough as choux buns/profiteroles/cream buns (whatever you call them) and eclairs? Yep, all of these delicious desserts are made from the same dough, the only difference being that the dough is baked for making choux buns and eclairs, and is deep-fried for making churros.

Choux pastry, or pâte à choux (French: [pɑt a ʃu]), is a delicate pastry dough used in many pastries. The essential ingredients are butter, water, flour and eggs.

What exactly is pâte à choux? Pâte à choux is a classic French dough that's used to make a wide range of pastries, from cream puffs to éclairs to cheesy gougères and more. Choux (pronounced like “shoe”) means cabbages in French; the baked puffs resemble small cabbages.