Description
Celebrate the holidays with these festive Christmas Tree Churros, golden fried and coated in cinnamon sugar, topped with rich chocolate ganache and colorful sprinkles. A fun and delicious treat that looks as wonderful as it tastes.
Ingredients
Scale
Churro Dough
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
For Frying
- Vegetable oil, 4 to 6 cups (for frying)
- Cooking spray (for greasing)
Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Toppings
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- Red and green sprinkles and/or white nonpareils (for decorating)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, water, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Bring to a boil, then stir in vanilla extract. Remove from heat, add flour and salt, stirring vigorously until the mixture thickens, about 30 seconds. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Incorporate Eggs: Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat in eggs one at a time until fully blended into the dough.
- Outline Churro Shapes: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray. Using cookie cutters or a ruler, trace three circles each of 2 1/2 inches, 2 inches, 1 1/2 inches, and 1 inch diameter.
- Pipe the Dough: Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe dough over traced circles, leaving appropriate spaces in the largest and middle circles and filling the smallest completely. Add three Hershey’s Kiss-size dollops as well. Freeze the piped dough until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat Oil: Pour vegetable oil into a large Dutch oven to a 3-inch depth. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 375°F, verified by a thermometer.
- Make Ganache and Cinnamon Sugar: Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Microwave heavy cream until bubbling, about 1 minute, then pour over chocolate. Let stand 30 seconds before stirring smooth. In a separate bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon.
- Fry Churros: Fry the largest churro circles in batches, turning after 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until golden brown on each side. Drain excess oil, toss in cinnamon sugar, and transfer to a wire rack over a baking sheet. Fry remaining churros similarly. The smaller Hershey’s Kiss dollops will fry in about 1 minute.
- Assemble and Decorate: Arrange churros on a platter stacking the 2 1/2", then 2", 1 1/2", and 1" sizes to resemble a tree. Top with smallest churros, spoon 2 to 3 spoonfuls of chocolate ganache over each tree, and decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
- Ensure the dough is cooled before adding eggs to prevent cooking the eggs prematurely.
- Freezing the piped dough is crucial for maintaining shape during frying.
- Use a thermometer to maintain oil temperature for perfect churro texture and color.
- Chocolate ganache can be prepared ahead and gently reheated before serving.
- Substitute vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate chips for a vegan version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
