RECIPE PREP

1. Add an inch of oil to a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven. When making churro bites, or short strips of pastry, you can use a smaller pan which requires less oil. Pull out your candy thermometer.
2. Line a baking tray with paper towels.
3. Prep an 18-inch piping bag with an open-star metal tip.
4. Create the sugar coating: in a wide bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar together.

MAKE THE CHURROS

1. Add butter, water, cinnamon, and salt to a small saucepan. Mix to combine. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add flour to the pan all at once. Stir until the dough is thick. It should pull away from the sides of the pan and form into a ball. Remove from heat. Let dough rest for 5-7 minutes.
2. Add vanilla then eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Keep stirring until eggs fully incorporate into the dough. It may seem like this won’t happen, but it will. Just keep on stirring. You’re done once the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and can be easily formed into a ball. At this point, the pan itself should look almost clean!
3. On the stovetop, over medium to medium-high heat, bring oil to 350°F. While cooking, the temperature will fluctuate. Help regulate the temp with a candy thermometer.
4. Once the oil reaches 350°F, carefully pipe strips of batter directly above the hot oil. With the dough suspended from the metal tip, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the dough straight off the tip in 3-inch segments. As the dough is cut, it will fall directly into the oil. While frying, use the spider strainer to gently toss and turn the treats. Fry the pastries for 1 1/2 minutes or until golden and crisp.
5. Remove treats from oil with a spider strainer or a slotted spoon. Drain on a paper-towel lined baking tray. Toss in cinnamon sugar. Serve hot! If desired, enjoy with chocolate syrup for dipping.