Description
This festive Christmas Tree Churros recipe features crispy, golden churro rings stacked to form a delightful holiday tree, topped with rich chocolate ganache and colorful sprinkles. Perfect for a fun and impressive dessert during the holiday season.
Ingredients
Scale
Churros Batter
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 g.)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- Cooking spray
- Vegetable oil, for frying (4 to 6 cups)
Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (85 g.)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Coating and Decoration
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g.)
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- Red and green sprinkles and/or white nonpareils, for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare dough: In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring butter, water, and 2 Tbsp. sugar to a boil, then stir in vanilla. Remove from heat and add flour and salt. Stir until thickened, about 30 seconds. Let cool 10 minutes.
- Add eggs: Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition until smooth.
- Prepare baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray. Using cookie cutters or a ruler, trace 3 circles each of 2 1/2", 2", 1 1/2", and 1" diameter onto parchment for churro shapes.
- Pipe batter: Transfer batter to a large piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the batter over the circles carefully. Leave a 1 1/2" space in the center of the largest circles, a fingerprint-sized space for the 2" circles, and fill smaller circles completely. Pipe 3 Hershey’s Kiss-size dollops as well. Freeze the batter on the sheet until firm, for 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Heat oil: Pour vegetable oil into a large Dutch oven to a 3" depth. Heat over medium-high heat until oil reaches 375°F on a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer.
- Make ganache and cinnamon sugar: Place chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl. Microwave heavy cream until small bubbles appear, about 1 minute. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. In another small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon.
- Fry churros: Fry the 3 largest churro circles first, turning halfway, until golden brown, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side. Drain excess oil by shaking and toss churros in cinnamon sugar. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat the frying process with remaining churros and Hershey’s Kiss-size dollops, which take about 1 minute to fry.
- Assemble tree: On a serving platter, arrange three 2 1/2" churros as the base. Stack a 2" churro on top of each, then 1 1/2" churros, then 1" churros. Top with the smallest churros. Spoon 2 to 3 spoonfuls of chocolate ganache over each assembled tree and decorate with red, green sprinkles, or white nonpareils.
Notes
- Use a thermometer to maintain oil temperature at 375°F for perfect frying.
- Freezing the piped batter ensures churros hold their shape when frying.
- Substitute dairy-free butter and cream for a lactose-free version.
- Be careful when piping to leave the specified spaces so the churros stack properly.
- Use a star tip for authentic churro ridges and texture.
- Keep cooked churros warm in a low oven if frying in batches.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
