A kit to make your own churros at home

To the uninitiated they may look like a boring stick of pastry but that much-loved South American delicacy, churros (pronounced chuor.owz), when dipped in cinnamon sugar and coated in melted chocolate is a decadent and addictive treat that has garnered fans across the globe.

And it's a fitting way to celebrate the kickoff of the first match of the Fifa World Cup this weekend — between host country Qatar and Ecuador, hence the churros.

And instead of the hassle of finding a recipe and getting all the ingredients Woolworths sells it conveniently in a kit where everything, well almost, is packed into one box —  the churro mix, cinnamon sugar, chocolate sauce and even a piping bag. Selling for R47.99 it does make putting a batch together a cinch, as I did in testing the kit.

What it does need is an oven (check the pesky power outage schedule), butter, eggs, cream, a baking tray, pan, mixing bowl, whisk and scissors.

It's the type of baking where everyone can get involved and comes with a guarantee of success — if you follow the instructions. They are clear so you can't go wrong, each step is well explained and the timing accurate.

The only thing I didn't have to hand was the cream for making the chocolate sauce, so I used milk and added blocks of dark chocolate. I made about 20 bite-size pastries, the perfect munch for sports fans.

Results: Excellent crispy pastries with a lovely sauce and, at under R50 a kit, worth the money and to be able to boast you made them yourself.