Baked Cinnamon Churros

Every time our family goes to the Texas State Fair or to the Fat Stock Show & Rodeo, the first treat we buy are Churros. These are long, thin, fried, doughnut sticks, coated in cinnamon and sugar! Oh, SCRUMPTIOUS!!!! Churros are traditionally made from a dough and then squeezed into a long stick shape, fried and rolled in cinnamon & sugar. They are crunchy on the outside and chewy and soft on the inside.

I found a post on Pinterest for a quick recipe that did not involve the long task of making dough, but instead uses plain white sandwich bread. Plus it wasn't fried. I really dislike frying as it is so messy...really messy!
NOTE: this was not as quick a recipe as I had hoped, but it is faster than the traditional method. However, these churros do have the crunchy exterior and chewy centers...
Also, this recipe has a creamy center that could be omitted completely and still be super delicious treat.

Enjoy!


Ingredients:

• 1 loaf (16 ounces) thinly sliced white bread, crusts removed (I used whole wheat but without any seeds, as they will not roll out flat)
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened (I used the 1/2 cream cheese & 1/2 Greek Yogurt blend)
•  ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
•  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Flatten bread by using a rolling-pin. (Some recipes cut off the crust, but I left it on my recipe.)
   
   
   
   
   
2. In a bowl, using a mixer, combine cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract.
   
    
3. In a separate flat dish with sides, stir together the sugar and ground cinnamon; set aside. 
   
4. Spread about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on each slice of flattened bread.
   
    
5. Roll up the slice of bread and set aside until all the slices are rolled. Now, brush each roll with melted butter. I used a pastry brush and generously brushed on the melted butter.
   
6. Roll the unbaked churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. 
7. Place them on an baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking pad. I lined mine up and left a small space in between.
   
   
   
8. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. 
   

Final Comment:

Churros are typically served in some kind of paper because they are a little greasy and messy.  Take a piece of freezer paper or parchment paper and roll it into a cone shape, twist the bottom point to seal the cone.place the cone into a short drinking glass or a vase if you have it, then set a few of the roll ups inside the cone.  This also add a bit of elegance to your dessert. You will want to set them around the table so your guests take one or two.

Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas

Today, I saw a recipe on Pinterest for homemade flour tortillas. Who doesn't like going to a Tex-Mex restaurant and getting an order of these fluffy, soft, moist wraps?! They are so yummy and I really enjoy the little dark spots, as they are sweet and nutty! Yum, Yum, Yum!

Now, I really like flour tortillas (and corn tortillas), however, I would prefer to have whole wheat and butter as the main ingredients instead of white flour and shortening (or in the traditional case, lard). Now adding these two substitutions will change the texture and taste from that of white tortillas, somewhat, but not enough to stop me from making these bubbly pillows of yumminess. And, I have gotten to where I like the whole wheat tortillas much better than the traditional white tortillas....no, really! I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does!

Here is what I did...

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 sticks of cold butter, cut into large pieces, (traditional recipes call for Lard, which is pig fat)
• 1 & 1/2 cups of white bread flour
• 1 & 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 2 Tablespoons of flax seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cups of plain cold water (you can also use chicken stock for savory tortillas)
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. (for extra moisture when using whole wheat flour)

Note: Some people add 1 teaspoon of baking soda but I cannot see a difference when I use this, so I omit it.

Directions: I use a Ninja Blender/Dough mixer, but you can do this with a stand mixer & dough hook, or by hand using a pastry knife and kneading it with your hands.

1. Add in all the dry ingredients into the bowl of my Ninja dough mixer.
   
2. Next, add in the cold butter, cut into large pieces.
   
3. Secure the lid on top and power on the "dough" speed for several seconds until the butter and flour resemble sand at the beach.
   
    
4. Add in the water and olive oil and secure the lid, again.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
5. Set the power on the "dough" speed until the water and flour are mixed...the mixer will slow down greatly at this point. Turn off the mixer. The dough should look moist and clumpy at this point. Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a floured surface. (I use a Silpat non-stick baking pad and flour.)
   
   
   
6. Knead out all the dough to form one large ball! I used a non-stick baking pad and some flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface.
7. Next, make the individual tortillas. I used a #40 (1 1/2 tablespoons) cookie scoop to measure my tortillas. I usually have between 20 - 24 balls of dough). I make all the dough balls before I begin rolling them out individually.
   
8. Lightly flour your surface and roll out one dough ball at a time. I roll mind out very thin. Don't worry about the edges, they don't have to be perfect...these are homemade...not store bought!
   
9. Using a non-stick skillet (The traditional method is to use a cast iron skillet), I heat the pan to medium heat. When the pan is hot, place a single raw tortilla in the pan...No liquid...No oil...simply a dry non-stick pan. Let the tortilla cook until large bubbles appear on the surface. 
   
   
   
   
   
10. Flip over the tortilla using a flat spatula and let the other side brown. I like my tortillas to have dark brown spots....you can cook less to have lighter or golden spots, but I think this adds a nutty flavor to the tortillas. Each side cooks about 45 seconds to 1 minute on my stove top.
    
11. Place the cooked tortillas on a plate and cover with a piece of plastic wrap and then a dry dish towel to hold in the moisture and keep the tortillas warm, soft and pliable. 
    
12. Store any leftovers in a zipper style plastic bag and refrigerate for up to one week. 

Ideas:

• Use as the wrap for traditional beef, chicken, or shrimp fajitas.
• Maybe for ground beef, or chicken, or fish tacos.
• Use flour tortillas for sandwiches and cold salads.
• Butter them up when they are still warm and dip them in hot queso or salsa.
• Make them dessert using pie filling: 
• I like to make cinnamon chips by cutting them into four triangles and frying them in canola oil, drain and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.