Baked Churros with Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce

Enjoy this fun street food in the comfort of your own home.

Yields: 12-16 churros (depending on piping size)

Churros

2 t. filtered water

2 T. grass-fed butter or virgin coconut oil

¼ t. sea salt

2 t. raw honey

1 c. blanched almond flour

¾ c. tapioca starch

1 t. vanilla extract

1 pastured egg


2-3 T. grass-fed butter or virgin coconut oil, melted

½ c. organic coconut sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F. Have a parchment-lined baking sheet ready.

Melt water, butter, sea salt, and honey in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add almond flour and tapioca starch, mixing vigorously. Continue to mix until dough forms a ball and pulls from the sides of the pan.

Pour the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until dough cools and there is no longer steam rising from the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, scraping the bowl occasionally. Dough should be thick and very sticky.

Scoop dough into a zip-top bag fitted with a coupler and large fluted piping tip (optional, churros can be piped without a tip). Secure the bag shut tightly (with an elastic fastener, if possible) and pipe churros to desired length. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until just barely golden.

While churros are baking, place melted butter in a shallow dish wide enough to fit the churros. In a separate bowl of the same width, combine coconut sugar and ground cinnamon.

When churros are finish baking, immediately dip in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Shake excess off and place back onto the baking sheet to let rest 5 minutes. Enjoy immediately with Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce, as desired.

Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce

1 c. blanched hazelnuts, soaked 8+ hours

2 oz. 100% cacao paste/liquor, chopped

2 T. organic grade B maple syrup

2 T. filtered water

1 T. organic coconut milk

1/8 t. instant espresso powder

½ t. vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine chopped cacao paste, maple syrup, water, coconut milk, espresso powder, and vanilla extract in a double boiler set to medium low heat. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Place hazelnuts into the bowl of a large food processor and process until a smooth paste forms (this will take a couple of minutes, be patient!). Add in the warmed chocolate mixture and process to fully combine, scraping down the sides every 30 seconds or so.

Enjoy with baked churros. Best stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.