Lemon Anise Churros

Photo Courtesy of Nicki Dowey

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When a chef whose specialty is Southwestern cooking, adds Asian spices to pâte à choux, the end result is a churro with attitude. In its simplest form, a churro is a cylindrical piece of fried dough. It was developed by Spanish shepherds centuries ago and it got its name because it resembled the horns of the Churro sheep they tended. The original churro was the size of a breadstick and was usually eaten for breakfast. The churro escaped its borders during the Age of Discovery and can now be found on tables in many parts of the world. Chef David Walzog added ground star anise and lemon zest to the churros he made during his tenure in the kitchen at Arizona 206. They are delicious and easy to make, but they are not with out pitfalls. The churro must be well-drained, but still warm when it receives its sugar coating, and it must be served immediately after that's been done. These wait for no man or woman. You've been warned. You'll see what happens when I don't follow my own advice at the bottom this post. Having shared that with you, I'd like it to remain our little secret. If you have never had a churro, I hope you will give this recipe a try. If you've had them before, I hope you'll give this version a try. The star anise and lemon zest make these really special. Here's the recipe.

Lemon Anise Churros...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by David Walzog

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 stick (4-oz.) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground star anise
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions:
1) Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl
2) Combine water, butter, anise and lemon zest in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add flour, all at once, and cook, beating constantly until flour forms a ball and films bottom of pan. Remove pan from heat.
3) Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated and mixture is smooth and shiny.
4) Combine granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in a plastic bag and set aside.
5) Spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a medium-sized star tip.
6) Heat 3-inch of oil in a deep pan until it reaches 375 degrees F.
7) Pipe batter into oil in 5 to 6-inch lengths. Do not crowd pan. Fry until golden brown, about three minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper toweling. Continue frying until all batter has been used.
8) Drop warm churros into bag of sugar and shake to generously coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings

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