Classic Cinnamon Churros, Gluten Free

Instructions

1. 1

   Set up the cinnamon sugar and the draining station

   Whisk the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a wide, shallow dish — a pie plate is ideal, since you want room to roll a churro end to end. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan next to the stove. Do this first, because once the churros come out of the oil you have about thirty seconds of grace before they cool too much to grip the sugar.

2. 2

   Whisk the flour and xanthan gum

   In a small bowl, whisk the gluten-free blend and the xanthan gum together thoroughly before you start the dough. Xanthan clumps instantly in hot liquid, so it needs to be evenly dispersed through the dry flour first. Skip the gum entirely if your blend already lists it on the label.

3. 3

   Cook the flour paste

   In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the butter has melted. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir hard until it forms a ball. Keep stirring over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes — slightly longer than a wheat dough needs, since gluten-free starches take more time to fully gelatinize and the extra cooking drives off moisture that would otherwise make the dough slack.

4. 4

   Cool briefly, then beat in the eggs

   Scrape the dough into a mixing bowl and stir for about 2 minutes to release steam before adding anything else. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before the next. Gluten-free dough comes together looking stickier and a touch softer than a wheat version — that's correct. Stop when it's glossy and drops from the spoon in a thick ribbon.

5. 5

   Rest the dough 25 minutes

   Cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature for 25 minutes. This step is specific to the gluten-free version and worth the wait: the rice flour and starches keep absorbing liquid, and the dough firms up measurably. Piped straight away, it spreads and loses its ridges in the oil; rested, it holds a sharp, defined shape.

6. 6

   Heat the oil and fill the piping bag

   While the dough rests, pour the oil into a heavy pot to a depth of about 2 inches and heat to 355°F, slightly cooler than the wheat version so the inside has time to set before the outside darkens. Fit a sturdy piping bag with a large open or closed star tip and fill it no more than two-thirds full.

7. 7

   Pipe and fry in batches

   Pipe 6-inch lengths directly into the oil, cutting each free with oiled scissors, and fry only 4 or 5 at a time. Give these 6 to 7 minutes, turning once or twice — a minute or so longer than wheat churros, because the starch interior needs that time to set. They're ready when they're deep golden brown and feel light and rigid when tapped with tongs; any softness or flex means the center is still wet.

8. 8

   Drain and roll while hot

   Drain on the wire rack for about 30 seconds, then roll through the cinnamon sugar, spooning extra over the ridges. Bring the oil back to 355°F between batches. Gluten-free churros lose their crispness faster than wheat ones, so serve them straight from the sugar.

9. You did it! Help us bring baking back home by selling your delicious baked goods on Homebaked!

Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Fry a test churro before committing to a batch. If it bursts or splits open, your oil is too hot; if it soaks up grease and stays pale, it's too cool.

• 2.

  A closed star tip gives sharper, more defined ridges than an open star, and those ridges are what create the crackly surface area.

• 3.

  If the dough fights the piping bag, it's too stiff — beat in a tablespoon of beaten egg at a time until it loosens slightly.

• 4.

  Don't skip drying the churros on a rack before sugaring, but don't let them sit either. Thirty seconds is the sweet spot: oil-free but still tacky enough to hold the coating.

• 5.

  Churros are a same-hour food. The crisp shell softens noticeably within a couple of hours, so fry them when people are ready to eat.

• 6.

  For dipping chocolate, pour 3/4 cup hot heavy cream over 5 ounces of chopped dark chocolate, let it sit a minute, then whisk smooth.