Makes 15 churros

Adapted from Bigger Bolder Baking

• ½ cup water

• ¼ cup butter

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• Salt

• ½ cup all purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1½ eggs, at room temperature

• 2 tablespoons white sugar

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 1¼ cup milk (the higher the fat content, the better)

• ½ cup bittersweet chocolate (at least 58% cacao), coarsely chopped

• ¼ teaspoon cornstarch, already prepared with 1 teaspoon of water

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add water, butter, brown sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Heat until butter is melted and mixture starts to simmer. Once it has reached a simmer, whisk in the flour.

3. Whisk until there are no more flour clumps and a dough ball starts to form.

4. Reduce heat to low and, using a wooden spoon, stir the dough around the pot and cook it for 1 additional minute. The mixture will clump and pull away from the sides of the pan, but make sure to only stir for 1 minute. Take the pot off the stove and set aside.

5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the vanilla extract and the eggs. Whisk everything together.

6. Using your wooden spoon, slowly pour a little of the egg mixture into the dough and incorporate. Stir and mash the mixture together, breaking up the dough until loosened.

7. Continue adding the remainder of the egg mixture to the dough until eggs are fully incorporated and the mixture has an appearance of mashed potatoes.

8. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe the dough into long churros on the parchment-covered pans. Put pressure on the piping bag and pipe slowly to ensure thick long churros. Make sure to leave about 2 inches between churros.

9. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately turn off the oven, prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon, and leave them in the oven for 10 minutes to dry out, a little. This helps them keep their shape and not go flat once they cool.

10. As the churros are cooling, in a small bowl, combine the white sugar, cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Mix everything together well.

11. Take the churros straight from the oven and toss them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. It’s easiest to do this step when the churros are still warm and fresh from the oven.

12. Meanwhile, to make your homemade hot chocolate, put a medium saucepan on the stove over medium heat and add your milk. Let it come to a simmer. Add the chocolate and whisk frequently until melted.

13. Whisk in your cornstarch slurry mixture in the chocolate. Stir constantly until chocolate mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes, until thick.

14. Serve the hot chocolate in mugs while you eat your churros.

15. Enjoy!