The beauty of this recipe is that one dough is used to make two different desserts: chilli churros served with chocolate vodka sauce and plain ones paired with a pina colada sauce.
Serves: 4
Churros:
50g butter, melted
2.5ml (½ tsp) vanilla extract
250g cake flour, from a new bag
5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
Big pinch of salt
2.5ml crushed chilli flakes
Chocolate vodka sauce:
100ml cream
200g dark chocolate
50ml full-cream milk
30ml (2 tbsp) golden syrup
Dash of vanilla essence
60ml (4 tbsp) chocolate vodka
Pina colada sauce:
250ml (1 cup) pineapple juice
60ml (4 tbsp) coconut rum
30ml (2 tbsp) coconut cream
15ml (3 tsp) cornflour, mixed to a paste in a little water
30ml (2 tbsp) butter
To fry:
About a 1 litre of sunflower oil
100g caster sugar
5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
Finely grated zest of half a lime
Method: To make the churros, measure 350ml boiling water into a jug and add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a big mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, pour in the contents of the jug and very quickly beat with a wooden spoon until lump-free. Rest for 10-15 minutes.
Divide into two portions of dough. Set one aside.
Add the crushed chilli flakes to the second portion of dough and set aside to rest.
For the chocolate vodka sauce, place the cream, chocolate, milk, golden syrup and vanilla essence in a pan and gently melt together, stirring occasionally until you have a smooth shiny sauce. Remove from heat and add the chocolate vodka; set aside.
For the pina colada sauce, combine the pineapple juice, coconut rum, cream of coconut and cornflour. Whisk until smooth over medium heat until it boils and thickens, add the butter and set aside.
To fry the churros, fill a deep saucepan one-third full of oil and heat. Cover a tray with kitchen paper. Mix half the caster sugar and cinnamon together on one plate. Mix the remaining caster sugar and lime zest together on another plate.
Fit a star nozzle to a piping bag, 1.5cm-2cm wide is a good size. Fill the first bag with the plain dough, pipe 5cm strips directly into the hot oil, snipping off each dough strip with a pair of kitchen scissors. Fry until golden brown and crisp and transfer to a kitchen paper-lined tray. While still warm dust with caster sugar and lime zest mix and serve with pina colada sauce.
Continue cooking the second portion of dough with the chilli flakes following the same process. While still warm dust with the cinnamon and sugar mix and serve with the chocolate vodka sauce. • This recipe earned Lucille Kistiah the title of second runner-up in the 2018 Sunday Times Goodlife Gautrain Taste Experience competition...