Lennox Hastie’s Basque breakfast: Churros and chocolate

As a special Father’s Day treat, we share the recipe for Lennox Hastie’s Basque breakfast of cinnamon churros and warm chocolate. Make it for Papà and indulge his sweet tooth on Father’s Day morning, or visit Gildas for Lennox’s spiced churros on our hazelnut soft serve with Pedro-Ximenes.

Ingredients

120ml water
120ml milk
40g caster sugar
½ teaspoon salt
60g unsalted butter, diced
½ vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest of ¼ orange
125g flour
3 eggs, beaten
500ml vegetable oil for frying

For dusting

100g caster sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For dipping

200g dark chocolate, chopped
200ml double cream

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange zest. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring well to combine. While still boiling add the flour to the saucepan all at once, beating vigorously until a smooth dough (what the French call a panade) forms which will pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before beating in the eggs gradually to make a smooth, thick batter. Allow to cool completely before transferring to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.

2. Combine the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the cream gently until it starts to simmer, being careful not to boil it. Add the broken chocolate and, removing from the heat, stir continuously until it has melted, and the mixture is smooth.

4. Heat vegetable oil in a large, deep pot until it reaches 175C. Carefully pipe long strips of the batter into the hot oil, using oiled scissors or a knife to cut the dough at the nozzle. Fry the churros for 2 minutes either side until they are golden brown, turning halfway during cooking. Remove the cooked churros from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Toss the warm churros in the cinnamon sugar mixture until they are evenly coated. Serve warm, dipping them in the hot chocolate. Serves 4.

This recipe was originally published by Weekend Australian.

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