Churros are already pretty great, but make them chocolate, and it’s a whole new experience. It’s one thing to dip these moreish Spanish doughnuts in melted chocolate, but it’s another thing entirely to work the chocolate into the doughnuts themselves. For the dipping sauce, think thick, fudgy and marshmallowy goodness. This wickedly decadent treat is one you’ll want to chow down on again and again (and again).

INGREDIENTS
Makes 24 churros.

CHOC-MARSHMALLOW DIPPING SAUCE

125g of good-quality dark chocolate
120ml thickened (whipping) cream
150g marshmallows
15g unsalted butter

CHOCOLATE CHURROS

240ml water
300g caster (superfine) sugar, plus two extra teaspoons
50g salted butter
115g plain (all-purpose) flour
10g Dutch-process cocoa powder
100g whole eggs
One litre of canola oil, for deep-frying
Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon

METHOD

1. To make the choc–marshmallow sauce, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe plastic bowl, then heat in the microwave on high in 30-second increments, stirring after each burst of heat until the chocolate is completely melted.

2. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat to low and add the marshmallows and butter to the hot cream and stirring until completely melted and combined.

4. Remove from the heat and combine with the melted chocolate. To avoid burning the chocolate, the sauce can be reheated when ready to serve or kept warm over a very low heat.

5. For the chocolate churros, combine the water, the two teaspoons of caster sugar and the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.

6. Add the flour and cocoa powder and stir vigorously to form a smooth dough.

7. Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.

8. In a separate bowl, lightly break up the eggs with a fork.

9. Gradually, add the eggs to the dough while mixing on medium speed until completely incorporated and the dough is smooth and shiny.

10. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1.2 cm (half-inch) star piping nozzle.

11. In a large heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil to 180°C (350°F).

12. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine the remaining sugar and the cinnamon, then set aside.

13. Pipe lengths of the dough over the hot oil and carefully snip them with kitchen scissors allowing the dough to fall gently into the hot oil.

14. Fry for four to five minutes or until cooked through.

15. Carefully remove the churros with metal tongs and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

16. While hot, toss the churros in the cinnamon sugar.

17. Serve immediately with the sauce.

18. The dough can be made and placed in a piping bag up to a day before frying. Once fried, the churros are best served immediately with freshly made chocolate sauce. The sauce is best enjoyed on the day it is made but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

FOR BEST RESULTS
1. These are best served hot, so ensure you make the sauce first.
2. Test one churro in the oil first before cooking the whole batch to ensure the oil is at the correct temperature. If the oil is too hot, the churro will be uncooked on the inside, and if it is not hot enough, the churro will absorb some of the oil.

Images and text from Chocolate All Day by Kirsten Tibballs, and photography by Armelle Habib. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.