Churros were something baker Angela Diaz of You’re a Cookie grew up eating. “I love them more than doughnuts 100 percent,” she says. Just like the cookies she turns out for her gluten-free, vegan-friendly virtual bakery, this holiday-inflected take on a childhood favorite crosses nostalgic flavors with a come-one-come-all ethos. “What’s great is that you can make this with gluten-free or regular all-purpose flour,” she says, “so the recipe is inclusive.” And that’s just perfect, because a pile of these crispy-soft treats scented with cinnamon and ginger begs to be shared with everyone.
Angela Diaz’s Gingerbread Churros
Makes:16 large or 32 mini churros
Active time:55 minutes
Total time:1 hour
Special equipment:Piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (like Wilton 1M); candy thermometer
| 2⅓ cups | Flour (gluten-free or all-purpose) |
| 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. | Cinnamon, divided |
| ¾ tsp. | Ground cloves, divided |
| 2¼ tsp. | Ground ginger, divided |
| 2⅓ cups | Water |
| 1¼ cups | Sugar, divided |
| 1¾ tsp. | Salt |
| 2 Tbsp. plus 2½ tsp. | Vegetable oil, plus more for frying |
| 1½ Tbsp. | Molasses |
| ½ tsp. | Vanilla |
| Cocoa for dipping (like You’re a Cookie’s Mexican hot cocoa), optional |
1. Whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon cloves, and ¾ teaspoon ginger in a medium bowl.
2. Combine water, ¼ cup sugar, salt, oil, molasses, and vanilla in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3. Add dry ingredients to the pot and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a thick, uniform dough, about 1 minute. Place dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
4. While dough cools, line a baking tray with parchment paper (or coat with nonstick spray), and line a cooling rack with paper towels. Prepare the sugar mixture by combining 1 cup sugar and remaining cinnamon, cloves, and ginger in a large bowl.
5. Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with oil to a depth of 3 inches and set over medium heat. Place a quarter of the dough in the piping bag and pipe four large or eight mini churros onto the parchment-lined tray. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. When oil reaches 350 degrees, add three churros and fry, turning with tongs, until crispy outside and soft inside, 3 to 6 minutes. Set churros on the rack to soak up oil, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining churros. Serve with cocoa.