Honey Churros

Churros have become very popular outside of both Mexico and Spain these days. I always like to bring something a bit different to my recipes and the example here for churros is my favourite - using small bites with orange blossom honey and fresh vanilla specks in the dough.

There is something very special about the subtle honey flavour and the little crispy bubbles that form on their surface when you deep fry them. A simple touch of sugar coating makes them even more perfect.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup of water

6 tbsp of organic butter

1 Mexican vanilla pod

1 tsp of Maldon salt 

1 tbsp of orange blossom honey or any good quality honey, that is 100% natural. 

2 1/4 cup of organic plain flour

1 free range egg

1 lt. of canola oil (for frying)

3/4 cup of caster sugar

1/2 cup of Demerara sugar

Pipping bag and star shape tip.

Kitchen scissors.

Kitchen thermometer. (optional)

Method.

In a sauce pan add the water, butter, vanilla, salt and honey bring to a boil, add your flour and stir energetically with a wooden spoon until your dough stops sticking to the sides and all the ingredients are well incorporated. 

Once your dough is ready remove from the heat and transfer it to a mixing bowl add the egg and mix with a paddle on low speed for a few minutes.

Prepare a deep sauce pan with the canola oil and heat it up until it reaches a temperature of 400F, check this with the help of a kitchen thermometer, the temperature is very important because the right temperature will allow your churros to crisp up on the outside without absorbing the oil and cooking your your churros thoroughly quicker. 

Get your pipping bag ready cut the end of it and put a star shape tip in (I like using a small one, I prefer having small churros for little bites for everyone and they cook faster too), fill in your pipping bag 3/4 of the way with the churro dough.

Once your oil is ready press your pipping bag into the hot oil and once you have the size churro you want cut the other end with kitchen scissors, repeat until you have 4-5 churros frying at the same time, move them around a little bit and once they get a good colour, remove them from the oil and place them over kitchen paper to get rid of excessive oil. 

Repeat the same process until you use all your dough.

Cover them with the sugar mix (Demerara-caster) and coat them well. It's important to let them cool down on a big tray spread to avoid them from becoming soggy, or you can just have them warm.