Fried Dough with Chocolate Sauce (Spanish Churros con Chocolat)

A churro is a fried-dough pastry - predominantly choux - based snack. Churros are traditional in Spain and Portugal, from where they originate, as well as the Philippines and Ibero-America. They are also consumed in the Southwestern United States, France and other areas that have received immigration from Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries. In Spain, churros can either be thin (and sometimes knotted) or long and thick, where they are known as porras in some regions. They are normally eaten for breakfast dipped in champurrado, hot chocolate, dulce de leche or café con leche. Sugar is often sprinkled on top. We don't often feel like breaking out all of our oil to fry things. But when you have an easy churro recipe this delicious, it's absolutely worth it. They only take a few minutes to fry and will actually still taste good at room temperature, making them a great party dessert. We are also just slightly obsessed with the chocolate dipping sauce.

Churros:
1 cup water
6 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs
cinnamon sugar

Chocolate Sauce:
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
¾ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. kosher salt

For the Churros:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add water, butter, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then add vanilla. Turn off heat and add flour and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until thickened, 30 seconds. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.

To cooled mixture, using a hand mixer, beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.

In a large pot over medium heat, add enough oil to come halfway up the sides and heat to 375°F. Holding the piping bag a few inches above the oil, carefully pipe churros into 6" long ropes. Use kitchen scissors to cut off dough from piping bag.

Fry until golden, 4-5 minutes, turning as necessary. Fry 3-4 churros at a time and let oil come back to 375°F before each batch. Remove churros with a slotted spoon or tongs and immediately roll churros in cinnamon sugar, then place on a cooling rack.

For the Chocolate Sauce:
Place chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream to a simmer. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit 2 minutes. Add cinnamon and salt and whisk to combine.

Serve churros with the chocolate dipping sauce.