Cinnamon Sugar and Cinco de Mayo

In high school, I studied French to fulfill my foreign language requirement. A bit scatterbrained, my teacher forgot about Mardi Gras for two years in a row, and she apologized by promising our class a Cinco de Mayo part. We combined the holidays and brought in chips and salsa, baguettes and Brie, a colorful King Cake, and even a donkey-shaped piñata.

This year, I remembered to celebrate Mardi Gras, and today, I plan on eating enchiladas and tacos, or at least some freshly prepared salsa. But only after I indulge in my new favorite food: churros!

Mini Baked Churros

modified from this Baked Churros recipe

makes 2 dozen

These are best eaten the day that they’re made, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container for a few days. Try drizzling them with melted dark chocolate for an extra decadent treat!

¼ c. butter

1 c. water

¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp brown sugar

¾ c. all-purpose flour

¼ c. whole-wheat flour

2 eggs (or 3 egg whites)

½ tsp vanilla

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1-2 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the water, salt, and brown sugar, and bring to a gentle boil for 10 min. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the flours with a wooden spoon. Whisk together the eggs and vanilla, and stir it into the flour mixture. Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star tip (or a Ziploc bag with one corner snipped off). Squeeze the dough into 4” logs onto the prepared baking sheets, and bake for 10 min or until golden. Let the churros cool for 3-5 min. In a plastic bag, mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Carefully roll each warm churro in the cinnamon sugar, and lay on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cold. (And try not to eat them all yourself!)

By the time I finished photographing these temptations, I had already devoured three or four… I’ll be impressed if anyone can resist these tasty treats!