The perfect treat for Santa - churros cookies
Ho Ho Ho! It really is one of the most wonderful times of the year! Christmas has this undeniable charm that makes all of us become children once more. However, being an adult can be even more fun, because we also have booze. I present to you the churros cookies with boozy filling!
This churros cookies recipe I have prepared are a perfect balance of deliciousness with a touch of alcohol. Also, let's be honest - wouldn't Santa rather have boozy treats under the tree?
Inspired by a Chilean Christmas drink
These churros cookies are an ode to the incredible flavours of Latin America. A little over a month ago I asked my followers on Instagram to tell me their favourite Christmas desserts. I was so impressed by all the amazing treats everyone suggested, most of which I'd never heard of before! One of these was Cola de Mono, a Chilean Christmas drink.
So what is Cola de Mono?
Cola de Mono is a Christmas drink originating in Chile, that's similar to a White Russian. The drink is made with condensed milk, sugar, cloves and coffee and it's made merry with alcohol. Although traditionally aguardiente is the Chilean alcohol used for Cola de Mono, any strong booze can be used. Aguardiente can be a little tricky to find in the UK, so I replaced it with hazelnut moonshine. I used this brand, but you can use any other alcohol such as brandy, rum or whiskey.
Not a fan of super strong alcohol? Have a look at my Baileys Irish Cream mascarpone frosting. You can absolutely use this filling instead for a less boozy flavour.
The specifics of churros
Churros are probably in my top 5 favourite treat ever. Let's be honest - anything deep fried is most likely to taste amazing!
So what do I need to know about churros?
In my humble opinion, churros dough is very similar to a choux puff dough. It's made with simple ingredients and piped using a star shaped nozzle - this is what gives it its distinct look.
Churros are deep fried either from fresh or frozen. Frying churros from frozen tends to keep their shape much better than from fresh. It's important to try to keep a constant temperature in your oil, so all churros are a similar colour. I recommend using either a deep fryer (with temperature setting) or using a thermometer to monitor the temperature. The ideal temperature for frying churros is between 175-190C (350-375F).
What ingredients are used for churros?
The ingredients are really simple, needing only water, butter, sugar, flour and eggs. Any other ingredients for flavouring or colour are optional, such as extracts or spices.
How to make churros cookies
Churros cookies are quite simple and easy to make. They don't require an oven, just a stove or cooker. There are two steps to this recipe: making the churros and preparing the filling.
Making the churro dough
Making the Cola de Mono filling
The filling is a creme patissiere recipe with some added alcohol. This recipe uses sweetened condensed milk, so no additional sugar is added.
To make the filling, simply heat up the milk with spices. Separately, mix the egg yolk with the flour. Once the milk is steaming, but not boiling, add it over the eggy mixture. Pour it back in the saucepan and cook until thickened.
The alcohol is added at the very end, once the cooking process has finished. Alcohol evaporates very quickly when cooked, so by adding it at the end we retain the boozy flavour. If you prefer a less alcoholic version, add it whilst still cooking, so it evaporates a little.
Is the boozy filling safe for children?
This recipe is specifically made for adults, as it's quite alcoholic in taste. Although the concentration of alcohol is not extremely high, I do not recommend this filling for consumption by children.
If you want your children to enjoy the treats too, skip the last step and don't add any alcohol. Replace the booze with a little more milk instead.
Dear Santa, enjoy your Churros Cookies!
I hope you really enjoy this recipe, and that you will leave it under the Christmas tree for Santa. These churros cookies are guaranteed to get you extra points with Santa and perhaps some more presents too!
Happy holidays!
Recipe
Churros Cookies with Cola de Mono Filling
Ingredients
Churros cookies
- 80 g butter (⅓ cup)
- 230 g water (1 cup)
- 20 g sugar (5 tsp)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 140 g all purpose flour (1 cup)
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 400 g vegetable oil (1 ½ cups)
Cola de Mono Filling
- 160 g milk (⅔ cup)
- 80 g condensed milk (¼ cup)
- 60 g moonshine or aguardiente* (¼ cup)
- 50 g flour (6 tbsp)
- 2 egg yolks
- 30 g butter (2 tbsp)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 100 g white chocolate (⅔ cup)
- sprinkles
Instructions
Churros cookies
- In a medium saucepan heat up the water, salt, nutmeg, sugar and butter. When the mixture gets hot, add in the flour, mixing vigorously to avoid lumps. Cook the mixture over the low heat, mixing continuously until a thin film of flour forms on the bottom of the pan.
- Move the mixture into a larger bowl, then add the egg yolk, whole eggs and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to fully incorporate everything and get a smooth paste.
- Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with with a star nozzle. To pipe the churros, start by making a small spiral. Keep going round and round until you get a larger spiral about 7cm wide (3-inches). Once you have piped all the churros, place them in the freezer for minimum 1 hour.
- In a deep wok or pan, heat up vegetable oil* until it reaches between 175-190°C (350-375°F). Carefully place in the frozen churros, ensuring they don’t touch. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they’re a golden-brown colour.
- Using a spatula, flip them over and fry on the other side. Once cooked, scoop out carefully and let them cool off on a wire rack. This will also ensure the extra oil drips out of the churros. Let the cookies cool down completely.
- Melt some white chocolate in the microwave, in small bursts of 15-30 seconds until fully smooth. When the cookies are fully cooled, dip one half into the melted chocolate. Add some sprinkles over the chocolate before it sets.
Cola de Mono Filling
- In a medium saucepan, heat up the milk, condensed milk, coffee and all spices.
- Separately, in a bowl whip the egg yolks until pale and fluffy. Slowly add in the flour, mixing it well to prevent lumps. If the mixture gets too thick, add 1-2 teaspoon of the heated milk.
- Once the milk starts steaming (not boiling), pour it over the eggs, mixing vigorously. When the mixture is fully incorporated, add it back into the saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens up.
- At the end, add the alcohol of choice and butter and mix well to incorporate. Place the creme in a bowl, then cover it with cling film (saran wrap), ensuring the foil adheres to the surface. Let the filling cool fully before using.
- Place the filling in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe a spiral of creme on the inside of a cookie, then place another cookie on top, like a sandwich. Serve immediately after filling.
Notes
- I recommend using a kitchen scale in grams for more accuracy. The cups used for the conversion are standard US customary cups (1 cup flour = 136g). There are many different types of cups across the globe, which is why I strongly recommend using grams instead.
- Oil - use an odourless oil such as sunflower or canola (rapeseed) oil.
- White chocolate - can be replaced with candy melts.
- Storing - Before filling, store the churro cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Once filled, consume immediately or within the day. Do not place the churros in the fridge, as this will make them soften and lose their crunch.
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