I like the classics. A bowl of smooth ice cream. A tart made with fresh fruit. The buttery, flaky shatter of the first bite of a croissant. Maybe I just appreciate a simply, beautifully made baked good, but I do get a bit worried when a new pastry trend hits the scene.
Welcome the churro ice cream sandwich to the pastry scene. Damn, but I do love churros. And ice cream. Perhaps this is a trendy melding I can actually get behind.
See also: The Churro Ice Cream Sandwich Has Just Won Summer
Started by Churro Borough in LA, the churro ice cream sandwich has arrived on the food scene, and has everyone peering over their cronut knock-off, to see what this new trend is all about.
As the oil heats in the skillet and the house fills up with that distinct scent that will no doubt linger for hours, I slip the first disc of churro dough into the hot oil. It bubbles and bobs, becoming golden and begging for a cinnamon sugar plunge.
The exterior is crisp, the interior soft and airy. Coated in cinnamon sugar, the churro discs provide a sturdy vehicle for ice cream. Softer than a cookie, slightly warm, homemade ice cream between, perhaps there is room for churro ice cream sandwiches in my pastry heart.
Ingredients:
For Churros: 4 ounces (1 stick) butter 2 pinches of salt a splash of bourbon a splash of vanilla 1 stick of cinnamon one long peel of orange skin 2 ¼ cup water 2 ½ cup ap flour 1 egg
Post Fry Churro Coating: 1 ½ cup granulated sugar 1 TBSP. ground cinnamon
Canola oil, for frying
Procedures:
- In a medium pot bring butter, salt, bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon stick, peel of orange skin and water to a boil.
- With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, until the dough comes together and there are no lumps of flour.
- Remove from heat, and stir in the egg, until the dough is smooth and completely combined.
- On a parchment lined sheet pan, sprayed with pan spray, pipe out rounds of dough, using a star tip, or round tip. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, until rounds are firm.
- Mix together granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Set aside to coat the churros as they come out of the oil.
- Heat canola oil in a large pot, deep enough to allow the churro discs to float, to 400 F.
- Slide 2-3 churro discs into the oil at a time. Fry, turning carefully, until the discs are golden brown. Remove from oil, allowing them to drip off excess oil, then coat in the cinnamon sugar.
- Allow the churros to cool slightly before sandwiching homemade ice cream (or really great store bought ice cream) between two churro discs.
- Eat immediately with some of your own homemade ice cream.
