Have you been wondering if you would ever get to enjoy a fried anything since going gluten free? Well, you can cross that little item off your list of never again-s, because these churros are the epitome of fried joy. They crunch and surrender to a gorgeous fluffy center and the coconut chocolate dipping sauce is eye roller good.
Churros are made with pate choux, a recipe I mastered in my first cookbook, Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free, but I’ve tweaked it ever so slightly to achieve that trademark churro flavor. Trust me when I say that these will blow your freakin’ mind. They are finger lickn’ good y’all!
ENJOY!
Gluten Free Churros
1 tablespoon sorghum flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon guar gum
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon castor sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 egg white
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sugar Coating
¾ cup pure cane sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Vietnamese
pinch of salt
Coconut Chocolate Dipping Sauce
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup castor sugar
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon dutch cocoa powder
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
In a small bowl, combine the sorghum, tapioca, cornstarch and guar gum. Stir with a small whisk to blend.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, water, half n’ half, castor sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a gentle boil.
Crack the eggs and egg white into a small bowl and add the baking powder so it can sit for at least 5 minutes. The baking powder should foam.
Add the dry ingredients to the saucepan and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, using a scraping motion, for 2-3 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and leaves a film on the bottom of the pan.
Immediately transfer the dough to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse for 20 seconds.
Remove the lid and add the eggs all at once, being sure all the baking powder makes it in; use a spatula if necessary.
Put the lid back on and blend on high for 2 minutes and the dough forms a thick sticky paste. Add the vanilla and pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1” star tip. Twist the end of the bag and fold over to seal the bag and lay the bag down so the top flap is against the counter. Allow the dough to sit for 20 minutes.
Heat your grapeseed or peanut oil to 350°F in a large pan with at least 3 inch sides.
In a 9 x 13” pan, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt with a fork. Level to cover the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Pipe in the choux dough into the hot oil in strips of 5-7 inches in length. Cut from the end of the piping tip using a very sharp knife. Fry for 2 minutes on the first side and 1 ½ minutes on the second. The churros should be golden brown. Using a large wire frying strainer, transfer the fried churros to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. When they are cool enough to handle, roll them in the sugar and cinnamon.
Repeat until all of your dough has been fried.
Makes 24 churros.
For the Coconut Chocolate Dipping Sauce
In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar and the cocoa powder. Whisk to smooth. Add the coconut milk and whisk to combine. Add the light corn syrup and whisk until you can no longer see any dry ingredients. Bring the sauce to a boil. Then remove from the heat and whisk until frothy. Transfer to a dipping cup or bowl.
Serve immediately.
Makes 1 1/3 cups dipping sauce.