Churros Cups with Chocolate and Mascarpone Cream
- Medium saucepan
- Piping bags
- Large star piping tip
- Muffin pan
- Wire rack
- Kitchen scale
- Thermometer
INGREDIENTS
- Oil for deep frying
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dough:
- 1 cup/250 milliliters water
- 3.5 ounces/100 grams unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups/150 grams all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Ganache:
- 7 ounces/200 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped
- ¾ cup/200 milliliters heavy cream
Cream:
- 2 cups/480 milliliters heavy cream
- 17.6 ounces/500 grams mascarpone cheese
- ½ vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- ½ cup powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil over low heat. Add the flour all at once, remove from the heat, and stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides. Return to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to lightly dry the dough. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, until the dough is smooth, glossy, and elastic. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Lightly grease the outside of a muffin pan. Pipe the dough in tight spirals around each cavity to form cup shapes. Smooth any peaks with a damp fingertip. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
- Heat the oil to 350°F/180°C. Release the frozen dough cups and fry until evenly golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Drain briefly, then toss immediately in the sugar mixed with cinnamon. Set aside.
- To make the ganache, bring the cream just to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate, let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Spoon the ganache into the churros cups and refrigerate until lightly set.
- Whip the cream, mascarpone, vanilla, and powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe over the ganache. Garnish with fresh fruit, if desired, and refrigerate until serving.
FAQ
Can the cups be prepared in advance without losing texture?
The most effective make-ahead step is shaping and freezing the dough cups before frying. Once frozen solid, the churros cups can be stored airtight for several days and fried directly from frozen, which actually improves shape retention and even browning. Fried churros cups, however, are best served the same day for optimal crispness.
If necessary, they can be fried a few hours ahead and kept at room temperature, uncovered, to prevent steam buildup. Fillings should always be added shortly before serving. Chocolate ganache can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, then gently rewarmed or brought to piping consistency. Mascarpone cream should be whipped fresh for best structure. Fully assembled churros cups will soften over time due to moisture transfer from the filling.
What type of chocolate works best for filling churros cups?
The best chocolate for filling churros cups is high-quality dark chocolate with a cocoa content between 60 and 70 percent. This range provides balanced bitterness and sweetness, preventing the filling from becoming cloying when paired with cinnamon sugar. Dark chocolate in this range also melts smoothly and emulsifies well with cream, producing a glossy, stable ganache that sets softly without becoming stiff.
Chocolate with lower cocoa content can taste overly sweet and lack depth, while very high-percentage chocolate may set too firm and taste bitter. Bar chocolate is preferable to chips, as chips often contain stabilizers that affect texture. For churros cups, finely chopping the chocolate ensures even melting and a smooth finish. Flavor variations such as espresso, orange zest, or chile can be infused into the cream before mixing, but the base chocolate should remain clean and well-balanced.
Why is freezing the dough important?
Choux dough is soft and elastic, which makes it ideal for piping but prone to spreading or collapsing when exposed to hot oil. Freezing firms the fat and moisture in the dough, allowing the churros cups to hold their cup-like structure as they enter the fryer. This step also slows the initial expansion of steam, leading to more controlled puffing and even hollowing inside the cups.
Without freezing, churros cups may lose their shape, cook unevenly, or develop thin spots that cannot support fillings. Freezing also improves workflow, allowing the dough to be prepared ahead of time. For consistent results, churros cups should be frozen until fully solid, not just chilled, and fried directly from frozen to maintain structure.
What oil is best for frying churros cups and why?
Neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, or sunflower oil. These oils can safely reach and maintain 350°F without breaking down or imparting unwanted flavors. Churros cups rely on clean, neutral frying conditions so the flavor of the dough, cinnamon sugar, and filling remains prominent.
Oils with low smoke points, such as olive oil or butter-based fats, are unsuitable because they burn quickly and create bitter flavors. Maintaining a stable temperature is just as important as oil choice. If the oil is too cool, churros cups will absorb excess oil and become greasy; if too hot, they will brown before fully puffing. Using a thermometer ensures consistent frying and crisp texture.
How do you keep churros cups crisp after frying?
Once removed from the oil, churros cups should be drained briefly and then coated immediately in cinnamon sugar while still hot. This allows the sugar to adhere without creating condensation. After coating, they should be placed on a wire rack or a plate in a single layer, not stacked, to prevent trapped steam from softening the exterior. Churros cups should never be covered while warm.
If holding them for a short time before filling, room temperature storage is preferable to refrigeration, which introduces humidity. Fillings should be added only once the churros cups have cooled slightly and just before serving. Creamy fillings like ganache or mascarpone will naturally soften the shell over time, which is why churros cups are best enjoyed shortly after assembly.
What fillings pair best besides chocolate?
Dulce de leche is one of the most popular alternatives, offering deep caramel flavor that complements cinnamon sugar perfectly. Pastry cream or vanilla bean custard provides a lighter, more traditional contrast and highlights the crisp dough. Whipped cream stabilized with mascarpone or cream cheese works well for a less sweet option.
Fruit-based fillings such as raspberry compote, passion fruit curd, or citrus custards add acidity that cuts through the richness of the fried dough. For more sophisticated variations, coffee-infused cream, hazelnut praline cream, or spiced chocolate with chili can be used. When choosing fillings for churros cups, texture matters as much as flavor. Fillings should be thick enough to hold their shape without soaking into the shell too quickly.
What common mistakes cause the cups to lose their shape during frying?
The cups most often lose their shape due to issues with dough consistency, temperature control, or handling before frying. One of the biggest mistakes is adding the eggs while the choux dough is still warm, which can cause the dough to become loose and unstable. Another common problem is undercooking the dough on the stovetop before cooling; if excess moisture remains, the churros cups may spread or collapse in the oil.
Skipping the freezing step is another major cause of misshapen churros cups, as the dough needs to be fully firm to withstand the initial shock of hot oil. Oil temperature also plays a critical role. If the oil is too hot, the exterior will set too quickly before the dough can puff evenly; if too cool, the cups will absorb oil and deform. Consistent piping thickness and frying directly from frozen are essential for well-defined churros cups.
Can churros cups be baked instead?
Baking produces a texture closer to classic choux pastry, similar to cream puff shells, rather than the crisp, blistered exterior associated with churros cups. Without frying, the cinnamon sugar coating will not adhere in the same way, and the flavor will be less rich due to the absence of oil.
If baking, the dough should be piped and frozen in the same cup shape, then baked at a high temperature, around 425°F, to encourage rapid steam expansion, followed by a lower temperature to dry the interior. While baked churros cups can still be filled and served as a lighter dessert, they lack the signature crunch and caramelized exterior that define true churros cups.
Can the cups be made gluten-free without affecting texture?
It requires careful flour selection to maintain the delicate structure of choux pastry. Gluten-free all-purpose blends with a mix of rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch tend to work best. These blends mimic the elasticity and moisture absorption of wheat flour, although they can produce a slightly denser final product. Xanthan gum or guar gum is often added to help bind the dough and provide stretch, which is critical for forming stable churros cups that hold their shape when fried.
Freezing before frying remains essential to compensate for the reduced elasticity. While the flavor of gluten-free churros cups remains rich and buttery, achieving the same hollow, airy interior as traditional wheat-based dough may require slight adjustments in egg quantity and frying time. Precision in temperature and technique is crucial.
