

step 1 Boil the kettle, then measure 300ml boiling water into a jug and add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking powder into a big mixing bowl with a big pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the contents of the jug and very quickly beat into the flour with a wooden spoon until lump-free. Rest for 10-15 mins while you make the sauce. step 2 Put all the sauce ingredients into a pan and gently melt together, stirring occasionally until you have a smooth shiny sauce. Keep warm on a low heat. step 3 Fill a large deep saucepan one-third full of oil. Cooking with hot oil can be dangerous – before you start, read up on how to deep-fry safely to avoid accidents in the kitchen. Heat until a cube of bread browns in 45 seconds to 1 min. Cover a tray with kitchen paper and mix the caster sugar and cinnamon together. step 4 Fit a star nozzle to a piping bag – 1.5-2cm wide is a good size. Fill with the rested dough, then pipe 2-3 strips directly into the pan, snipping off each dough strip with a pair of kitchen scissors. Fry until golden brown and crisp. Be very careful here – if air bubbles form in the churros they can explode, especially if the oil overheats or you use old flour. Cooking with hot oil can be dangerous – before you start, read up on how to deep-fry safely to avoid accidents in the kitchen. Keep children out of the kitchen and protect yourself by wearing long sleeves and eye protection, and keeping your face away from the pan. step 5 Once the churros are crisp and golden brown, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the kitchen paper-lined tray. Carry on cooking the rest of the dough in batches, sprinkling the cooked churros with some cinnamon sugar as you go. When you’ve cooked all the churros, toss with any remaining cinnamon sugar and serve with the chocolate sauce, for dipping. To see a video of how to prepare churros, take a look at our churros ice cream sandwich recipe.

step 1 To make the sauce, tip the sugar and butter into a saucepan and bring to a simmer until the sugar has melted, then stir in the cream and simmer until you have a smooth sauce, about 2-3 mins. Remove from the heat, stir through a pinch of sea salt and the chocolate, and continue to stir for 2-3 mins, or until it has completely melted. Keep warm or leave to cool for reheating later. For the coating, mix the sugar with the cinnamon and a small pinch of fine sea salt and set aside. step 2 For the churros, tip the flour, cocoa, baking powder and a large pinch of salt into a bowl. Add the vanilla extract and melted butter, then carefully pour in 250-300ml boiling water and whisk to make a smooth, very thick batter. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then scrape the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle. step 3 Tip sunflower oil into a deep-fat fryer following the manufacturer’s instructions, or a heavy-based pan, ensuring it is no more than a third full. Heat to 170C, or until a cube of bread dropped in browns in 30 seconds. Pipe 12-15cm lengths of dough into the oil, snipping off the end of each one with a pair of scissors as you go. Pipe four or five at a time and cook for around 4 mins, or until golden and crisp, turning them with tongs or a slotted spoon as they cook. Remove from the oil and place on a wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Leave to cool if reheating later, otherwise roll the churros in the cinnamon sugar and serve immediately with the warm chocolate sauce and ice cream. To reheat the churros, put on a tray and bake for 5-8 mins, then roll in the sugar coating. Meanwhile, warm the sauce in a pan and serve alongside for dipping.