Cinnamon Churros Ice Cream Sandwiches

, from Issue #70. December, 2016
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Cinnamon Churros Ice Cream Sandwiches

This is definitely one of my most asked for summer desserts. Freshly made churros dipped in cinnamon sugar, then sandwiched with your choice of ice cream and a little caramel sauce. 

Serves: 20

INGREDIENTS

1 cup milk
100 grams butter, diced
pinch of sea salt
1 cup gluten-free flour (I used Edmonds)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, size 7, lightly beaten
vegetable oil, for cooking
To assemble
½ cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
scoops of your favourite ice cream
purchased thick caramel sauce

METHOD

Grease a flat baking tray that will fit into your freezer, then line with baking paper. Use two trays if necessary. 

Churros: Put the milk, butter and salt in a medium saucepan and slowly bring up to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and tip in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon until a thick dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. This will happen quickly. Place back over a low heat and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Tip the dough into the bowl of a standing mixer and cool for 10 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly between each addition. It will appear to separate at first but keeping beating until the dough is smooth and thick. 

To cook: Fit a pastry bag with a small star nozzle and fill with some of the dough. Do this in batches.

Pipe tight, 6cm spirals of the dough onto the baking tray and freeze for at least 1 hour until firm and the churros can be easily removed from the tray. The churros can be cooked from fully frozen. 

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

Heat 4cm of vegetable oil in a deep medium-sized saucepan to 170°C or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden in 30 seconds.

Cook for 2 minutes, turn over and cook for another 1–2 minutes until golden and puffed. Reduce the heat if the churros are browning too fast.

Lift out and place on paper towels then coat in the cinnamon sugar. 

Sandwich the churros together with a scoop of ice-cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, if using, and serve immediately.