But this lesser-guilt recipe for baked churros (instead of fried), from The Baker Chick, is reason enough to serve them anytime.

The recipe is below, but first:
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHURROS

According to Fox News Latino and other sources, churros evolved from a Chinese cruller* (youtiao).

Portuguese sailors discovered them them on their Far East voyages, which reached China in the early 16th century.

They brought the recipe home with them; but that pastry was savory, seasoned with salt. The recipe spread to Spain, and the Spanish improved on the concept by adding sweetness.

And, prior to frying, they passed the dough (extruded) through an implement with a star-shaped tip that created ridges.

That implement is a churrera, a syringe-like utensil that features that dies of different shapes. It is still used today.

The original was a star shape; but the churrera, (an inexpensive tool) comes with different die attachments, so today pastry makers have a choice.

In addition to the eye appeal, the signature ridges created by the tip turned out to be great for holding dipping sauces: an improvement over the original.

The churros were dusted in cinnamon and sugar, and dipped in chocolate sauce, and enjoyed at breakfast with café con leche or hot chocolate (hot chocolate developed in Spain around the same time as churro pastries).

Churros arrived in Europe in the 16th century, at the same [relative] time cacao came from Mexico to Europe, and became hot chocolate.

While traveling from country to country, the churro was enhanced, from guava-filled churros in Cuba, the dulce de leche-filled churros in Mexico and cheese-filled churros in Uruguay.

Dulce de leche, a popular sauce for churros, was invented in Argentina in the 19th century. The first historical reference to the Argentinian dessert comes from a peace meeting between military leaders in 1829.

According to legend, dulce de leche was produced by accident when the maid was cooking some milk and sugar and was unexpectedly called away.

Upon her return, the mixture had transformed into a thick, brown consistency (not very different from caramel sauce, which is made with sugar, cream and butter).

The “new dessert” was called dulce de leche, a milk sweet [confection]. Today it is usually made with sweetened condensed milk (which did not exist at the time).

[1] Churros, shown here with fruit dippers and spicy chocolate fondue. Here’s the recipe (photo © McCormick).

[2] A portion of churros nicely arranged in a doily at Soccarat Paella Bar in New York City (photo © Soccarat).

[3] Serve churros in a basket (photo © King Arthur Flour.

*The Chinese cruller, youtiao, also popular in, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

†There is also a story about nomadic Spanish shepherds developing churros while tending their flocks in the mountains. There are breeds of Spanish sheep called the navajo-churro and the churra, the horns of which are said to look similar to the fried pastry. This story is highly unlikely. At the time, sugar was very expensive, and not likely to be available to the shepherds. Not to mention, “churro” comes from “churrera.”

[5] Why fry when it’s easier to bake—and not oily, and with fewer calories?

[6] Another way to enjoy churros: Dip them in icing and garnish with nuts, sprinkles, etc. (photo © BHG).

Ingredients For 18-20 Churros

 
Plus

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‡If you don’t have large eggs, use what you have but aim for 2/3 cup of egg. A larger amount could yield more watery dough.
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Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, salt and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

2. REMOVE from the heat add the flour; stir to combine. The mixture will thicken and start to resemble the texture of mashed potatoes.

3. LEAVE the dough in the saucepan, but beat it on low with a hand mixer, adding one egg at a time and mixing well before adding another. After adding each egg, the mixture will become wet and glossy, but after mixing on high for a few seconds it will thicken again. When all the eggs are are combined…

4. ADD the vanilla. The dough will be thick and starchy, still with a similar texture to mashed potatoes. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Lightly spray a cookie sheet and pipe 6-inch rows of the dough with at least 1 inch between each churro.

5. BAKE in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

6. REMOVE from the oven, brush the warm churros with melted butter or spray lightly, and place in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and shake the dish to make sure they are well-coated.

Churros are best enjoyed warm. If they cool to room temperature, give them 30 seconds in the microwave.
 
 
MORE CHURROS RECIPES

Want to make homemade tortillas for Cinco de Mayo?

Practice this weekend with this recipe from King Arthur Flour. They’re so much more authentic than the flat-pressed commercial versions.

Although traditionally made with lard, these tortillas are equally delicious using butter, shortening, or vegetable oil as the fat.

This is also a flour tortilla version. The originals were made with corn flour until wheat flour arrived with the Spanish in the 16th century. If you prefer a corn flour version, here’s a recipe and video from Mexican food specialist chef Rick Bayless, plus more about corn tortilla.

The resting period improves the texture of the dough by giving the flour time to absorb the water. It also gives the gluten time to relax, making the tortillas easier to roll out.

You may extend the resting, or skip it altogether if you don’t have the time—the recipe is pretty forgiving. The tortillas will roll out and stay thinner if you include the rest, though.

If there are leftovers, allow them to cool completely, then wrap them tightly in plastic and store them in the refrigerator. Reheat in an ungreased skillet, or for a few seconds in the microwave.

Prep time is 15 minutes, and cook time is 15 to 25 minutes.

> June 16th is National Tortilla Day.

> The different types of bread: a photo glossary.
 

RECIPE: HOMEMADE TORTILLAS

Ingredients For 8 Eight-Inch Tortillas

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the lard (or butter, or shortening; if you’re using vegetable oil, add it in step 3). Use your fingers or a pastry blender to work the fat into the flour until it disappears. Coating most of the flour with fat inhibits gluten formation, making the tortillas easier to roll out.

2. POUR in the lesser amount of hot water (plus the oil, if you’re using it), and stir briskly with a fork or whisk to bring the dough together into a shaggy mass. Stir in additional water as needed to bring the dough together.

3. TURN the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead briefly, just until the dough forms a ball. If the dough is very sticky, gradually add a bit more flour.

4. DIVIDE the dough into 8 pieces. Round the pieces into balls, flatten slightly, and allow them to rest, covered, for about 30 minutes. If you wish, coat each ball lightly in oil before covering it to ensure that the dough doesn’t dry out. While the dough rests…

5. PREHEAT an ungreased cast iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat, about 400°F. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll into a round about 8″ in diameter. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Fry the tortilla in the ungreased pan for about 30 seconds on each side.

6. WRAP the tortillas in a clean cloth when they come off the griddle, to keep them pliable. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
 
 
TORTILLA HISTORY

The mainstay of the Mexican diet was and still is, the corn* tortilla, made with indigenous corn from prehistoric times. Excavations in the valley of Valle de Tehuac, in Sierra Mountains in the state of Puebla, date their use to more than seven thousand years [source].

[2] The best flour makes a different.

[3] “Women Grinding Maize” by Diego Rivera (photos #3 and #4 of paintings courtesy Diego Rivera Foundation).

[4] “Tortilla-Maker” by Diego Rivera.

The corn used was a very small wild cob (that was bred, by 3000 B.C.E., into the large ears we know today), ground corn foods, along with roots and fruits plus hunting, comprised the diet.

The cooking process is little changed today. Corn kernels are cooked with lime to remove the husk (known as nixtamalization), then ground on a stone slab with a grinding stone (photo #3). The dough is formed into small round balls that make the individual tortillas, and patted out by hand into thin round cakes (photo #4), and cooked over a fire (today, homemade versions use a skillet on a stove top).

For tamales, the cake is placed in an unbaked tortilla, filled, and wrapped in a corn husk for cooking.

When Hernan Cortez and his conquistadors arrived in the New World in 1519, they discovered that flat cornbreads were a staple Aztec food. In the Aztec’s Nahuatl language, the word for them was tlaxcalli (pronounced tih-lax-CAH-leee. The Spanish gave them the name tortilla.

Technology arrived centuries later, in the 1940s when the use of small gas engines and electric motors became widespread to power grinders for making masa (the ground corn). A hand press became used to form the masa into tortillas.
 
By the 1960s, small-scale tortilla-making machines could churn out hot, steaming tortillas every two seconds—quite a change from the hours they took to make before modern times.
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*Wheat flour only arrived in the 16th century, with the Conquistadors, and became popular in Mexican/U.S. border cooking. By the time Spaniards reached the shores of what is now Mexico in the 1400s, indigenous Mesoamericans had a sophisticated and flavorful cuisine based on native fruits, game, cultivated beans and corn, and domesticated turkeys.
 
 

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We found this spring salad bouquet recipe (photo #1) on the social media pages of the New York City outpost of Catch seafood restaurant (a charming spot with a roof deck for alfresco dining).

The salad is no longer on the menu, but it looked so festive we had to make it for ourselves. There are two spring salad dressings below: basil vinaigrette and blood orange vinaigrette.
 
 
SPRING SALAD INGREDIENTS

 
It’s topped with zigzags of ranch dressing.

We preferred tossing it with a sprightly vinaigrette.
 
 
More To Add To Your Spring Salad Bouquet

 
 
SPRING SALAD VINAIGRETTE RECIPES
 
RECIPE #1: BASIL VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

[2] Fiddlehead ferns (photo by Katharine Pollak | © THE NIBBLE).

[3] Chioggia beets (photo © True Food Kitchen).

 
Combine all ingredients. To emulsify so they don’t separate, use a blender or an Aerolatte Milk Frother.
 
 

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