Chocolate churros with chocolate & salted caramel sauce Recipe

To make the sauce, combine the muscovado sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the double cream and continue to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Take the pan off the heat, then stir in a pinch of sea salt and the dark chocolate. Keep stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the chocolate has fully melted into the warm caramel. Keep the sauce warm, or let it cool completely if you plan to reheat it later.

For the coating, whisk together the golden caster sugar, cinnamon, and a small pinch of fine sea salt in a shallow dish. Set this aside for later.

For the churro dough, combine the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract and melted butter, then carefully pour in 250-300ml boiling water. Whisk vigorously until you have a smooth, very thick batter. Let the dough cool for a few minutes, then transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle.

Pour sunflower oil into a deep-fat fryer or a heavy-based pan, ensuring it’s no more than a third full. Heat the oil to 170°C; you can test it by dropping in a cube of bread, which should brown in about 30 seconds. Carefully pipe 12-15cm lengths of dough into the hot oil, snipping each one off with scissors. Fry four or five churros at a time for about 4 minutes, turning them with tongs until they're golden and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and place them on a wire rack to drain. Repeat with the remaining dough.

If serving immediately, roll the warm churros in the cinnamon sugar and plate them with the warm chocolate sauce and a scoop of ice cream. To reheat cooled churros, arrange them on a baking tray and bake for 5-8 minutes, then roll them in the sugar coating. Warm the sauce gently in a pan while the churros bake, then serve it alongside for dipping.