Ingredients
1/4 cup butter or margarine,
1 cut into small pieces
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
3 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 salad oil for deep frying
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine butter with 1/2 cup water. Stir over
low heat until butter is melted. Bring just to boiling; add salt, and
remove from heat. Add flour all a once; beat very hard with a wooden
spoon. over low heat, beat until very smooth-about 2 minutes. Remove
from heat; let cool slightly. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating
well after each addition. Add vanilla. Continue beating until mixture
has a satinlike sheen. Meanwhile, in a deep skillet or deep fryer,
slowly heat salad oil (at least 1-1/2 inch) to 380*F on deep fry
thermometer. Press the doughnut mixture through a large pastry bag
with a large, fluted tip, 1/2 inch wide. With wet scissors, cut
batter into 2 inch lengths as it drops into hot oil. Deep fry, a few
at a time, 2 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown. Lift out
with slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels. Meanwhile combine
cinnamon and sugar in a medium bowl. Toss drained doughnuts in sugar
mixture to coat well. Serve warm.
From McCalls "World-Wide Cooking. Typos by Val
Servings: 24 servings
Churros (Spanish Doughnuts) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; Dessert; Nut; Spanish
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as a concept can be traced far back into the far past, in fact as far back as the ancient Egyptians, and maybe further still. Interesting though that maybe, these, old records were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for meal preparation.
The truth of the matter is, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to historians is a series of ancient tablets in ancient Sumerian which recount the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel `wonderful`. Progressing into The time of the roman empire 25BC a roman called Apicius created some scripts which described recipes prepared by wealthy roman citizens. In his works, he recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into hors d`oeuvres, entrees and desserts, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. He also recounts how the ancient cooks were skilled in the use of a good variety of aromatic flavours, including many that are still in use today like bay, mint and asafoetida. Later, we find two interesting cookery books which were published in the fourteenth century - a book published under the title `Forme of Cury`, and another entitled `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, these books are nothing to do with the spicy food that is served today, but rather accounts of the types of meals on the menues of the upper classes of those days. Later on in the 1400s, people returning from the crusades brought back many new foods and herbs from the East, including coriander, basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new foods and spices created an outbreak in books on cooking, the majority of which are now in private cookery archives. For the centuries that followed, the powerful and rich tried to lay on the most extravagent meals, and as a result the best cooks and their recipes could command a high salary. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the 1800s that fine cooking and cookery books rose to prominence. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the USA, devoted much of their lives to collecting, trying out, and recording recipes that were common in the better off homes of the day. By the time we get to the 20th century, cookbooks are increasing in popularity mostly as a result of increased literacy, people having increased free time and having more money to spend. The introduction of the TV gave us celebrity chefs and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. And that neatly brings us to the present day and the internet revolution, allowing us all to access massive numbers of recipes such as those found on our site. |
We hope you enjoy this Churros (Spanish Doughnuts) recipe.
