Recipe: Churros with cinnamon sugar and hot chocolate

Makes about 20
125g butter, chopped
1 cup (150g) plain flour, sifted
3 eggs
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
1/3 cup (65g) caster sugar
11/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Hot chocolate
5 cups (1.25L) milk
2 strips orange rind
Pinch ground nutmeg
350g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
Caster sugar, to taste

1. To make the hot chocolate, combine milk, rind, nutmeg and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is hot. Remove from heat and discard rind. Use a hand blender to whisk until mixture froths. Pour into glasses to serve. Add sugar to taste.
2. Meanwhile, to make the churros, place butter and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until butter melts and water just comes to the boil. Add flour and stir until well combined and mixture comes away from the sides of the pan.
3. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer, cool slightly then add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, until mixture is smooth. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle.
4. Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan to reach a level of about 4-5cm. (Oil is ready when a cube of bread browns in about 15 seconds.) Pipe 8 x 10cm lengths of dough into hot oil, using a knife to cut lengths. Cook for 1 minute each side, then drain on paper towel. Immediately place churros.

 Recipe: Cynthia Black.   Photography: Ben Dearnley.   Styling: Jane Hann