Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Combine water, butter, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring to ensure the butter is fully melted. Every granule of sugar and crystal of salt must be dissolved before the flour goes in — the liquid must be at a full boil, not just simmering.

Remove the boiling liquid from heat. Add all the flour at once and stir immediately and vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough will come together almost instantly into a rough, shaggy ball. Return to low heat and cook, stirring and pressing constantly, for 2-3 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides cleanly and a dry film forms on the pan bottom. The dough must be dried out slightly — this is what makes churros crisp. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (1.5-2cm).

Heat the frying oil to 180°C (355°F) in a deep pan. Pipe 15-20cm lengths of dough directly into the hot oil, using scissors to cut each churro free from the piping bag. Fry in batches of 4-5 without crowding for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden on all sides. The ridges from the star tip should be the darkest points. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels.

Combine the caster sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Toss the hot churros in the cinnamon sugar immediately after draining — while still hot, so the sugar adheres to the surface. Roll each churro to coat all sides.

Whisk the cornstarch into 3 tablespoons of the cold milk until smooth. Heat the remaining milk with the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped dark chocolate and whisk constantly until melted and smooth. Add the cornstarch slurry and continue whisking over medium heat until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a pourable custard — about 3-4 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon heavily and not run off immediately when the spoon is tilted.