Churros- Gluten Free Pate a Choux Ratio Rally

How did I not know churros were made using pate a choux?  My mom taught me how to make cream puffs when I was a little girl and I made gluten free pate a choux for eclairs soon after I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  If I'd known frying the dough would make churros I would have tried it years ago!  I'm not much of a food fryer - mostly because I don't like the smell that lingers in the house from the hot oil.  That being said, these were so easy to make and yummy to eat I might start making them every year to celebrate the beginning of summer.  There's nothing like a churro to usher in the months of summer fests and  amusement parks!

Pate a choux is this months Gluten Free Ratio Rally.  Our host was Erin, The Sensitive Epicure.  You can check out her blog to see all the wonderful gluten free eats made with pate a choux this month.  I chose to make churros because 1- I love them, 2- I missed them, 3- I'd never made them, and 4- they are made out of pate a choux (but mostly because of 1).  The pate a choux ratio is:

1 part flour

2 parts liquid

2 parts egg

1 part fat

or 1:2:2:1

The ratios are done by weight.  I start by weighing my egg and adjusting everything else from there.

Gluten Free Churros

makes 10-12 5 inch churros

53 grams water (almost 1/3 cup)

27 grams butter (about 5 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

27 grams gluten free flour mix (about 1/4 cup)

53 grams egg (1 large egg)

Oil for frying
1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon for rolling the churros in once they are cooked.

Boil water, butter, salt and sugar. Add gluten free flour mix. Work mixture together and cook 1-2 minutes longer. Continue working the mixture until all flour is incorporated and dough forms a ball. Remove pan from heat and cool pan by dipping into cold water for 3-4 minutes - don't let any water get into the pan. You want the dough to cool down so that it doesn't scramble the egg, but it still needs to be warm.  Add the egg, and using a whisk beat the dough to fully incorporate the egg.  The dough will look slippery and messy at first but continue to whisk and it will come together after a minute or so.  If you double the recipe add the eggs one at a time fully incorporating each one before adding the next one. Once the mixture is smooth, refrigerate it for 1 hour or overnight.

Put refrigerated dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1M tip.  Pipe dough into 5 inch lines onto small baking sheet.  Freeze for 15 minutes or overnight.

Add 2 inches of oil to a medium pan and heat over medium until it reaches 375 degrees.  Remove the churros from the freezer and place 1 to 3 into the hot oil.  Fry for 60-90 seconds and then flip the churros to cook the other side an additional 60-90 seconds.  Remove from oil and place on a plate covered in paper towels.  Allow the churros to cool 1-2 minutes and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Make sure the oil is at 375 before frying the rest of the churros.
Best eaten warm.