Homemade Churros

• 1 cup of water
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 ⅓ cups of all purpose flour
• 5 ½ tablespoons of butter
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of sugar

For the coating

• 1 T of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 C of granulated sugar

For frying

• About 1-1 ½ quarts of neutral-flavored oil for frying

Making the Batter:

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepot, add the water, the butter, the vanilla, and the sugar and turn the heat on to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer.
2. In the meantime, sift the flour and salt together and set aside.
3. Crack the eggs into a bowl and then separate the one yolk and add the yolk to the other 3 eggs. Set aside.
4. When the water mixture comes to a simmer, turn the heat down to low and add the flour mixture and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Continue to cook the dough on a low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until all the bits of flour pull away from the bottoms and sides of the pot.
5. Once the mixture forms a complete dough, set up your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and transfer the dough into the bowl of the mixer.
6. Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and add the eggs (including the yolk), one-by-one, being sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another one.
7. Once all the eggs are fully incorporated, continue mixing on the lowest speed for about 4 minutes, or until the mixing bowl is no longer warm from the temperature of the batter in the bowl.
8. Once the batter is no longer warm, transfer the batter to a piping bag, fitted with a star tip.
9. Allow the batter to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes while you prepare for frying.

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Making the Coating:

1. Add the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon into a medium-sized bowl and mix with a fork until the mixture is evenly combined. Set aside.

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Frying the Churros:

1. Fill a pot with a neutral-flavored oil (such as vegetable or canola oil) so that it is at least three inches deep and heat the oil to 350 F.
2. Once the oil is hot, carefully pipe a strand that is between 4 and 6 inches long and snip the end closest to the tip, so that the churro gently falls into the oil.
3. Allow the churro to cook in the oil for about 1 minute and then gently flip the churro so that the opposite side is now submerged in the oil. Continue to cook for another 1 minute and 30 seconds or until the entire churro is a nice golden-brown.
4. Once the entire churro is golden-brown, gently remove it from the oil, shaking off the excess oil, and immediately place it into the cinnamon-sugar and toss to coat the entire churro.
5. Repeat the previous steps, frying 2-3 churros at a time (depending on the size of pot you are using), until all the batter has been used. Enjoy warm!