Description
Celebrate the holidays with these festive Christmas Tree Churros, crispy fried dough shaped into charming tree layers, coated in cinnamon sugar, and topped with rich chocolate ganache and colorful sprinkles. A delightful treat perfect for holiday parties or cozy gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Churro Dough
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- Cooking spray
- Vegetable oil, 4 to 6 cups, for frying
Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Decorations
- Red and green sprinkles
- White nonpareils
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, water, and 2 tablespoons of sugar and bring to a boil. Stir in vanilla extract, then remove from heat and quickly add flour and salt, stirring vigorously until the dough thickens, about 30 seconds. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Add eggs: Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, incorporate eggs one at a time into the dough, beating well after each addition until smooth and combined.
- Prepare baking sheet and outline: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it with cooking spray. Use cookie cutters or measure with a ruler to trace circles in four sizes: three 2 1/2-inch, three 2-inch, three 1 1/2-inch, and three 1-inch circles.
- Pipe dough shapes: Transfer the churro dough into a large piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the dough onto the traced circles, leaving specific spaces to form tree shapes: largest circles get a 1 1/2-inch open center, medium circles get a fingerprint-size open center, and the smallest circles are fully filled. Add three dollops about the size of Hershey’s Kisses on the sheet. Freeze the shaped dough until firm, from 2 hours up to overnight.
- Heat oil for frying: In a large Dutch oven, pour vegetable oil to a depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium-high until a thermometer reads 375 degrees Fahrenheit for proper frying temperature.
- Make chocolate ganache and cinnamon sugar: Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Microwave heavy cream until small bubbles appear, about 1 minute. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon to create the coating.
- Fry churros: Fry the three largest churro circles first, flipping halfway through, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, shake off excess oil, then toss immediately in cinnamon sugar. Transfer to a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain. Repeat with remaining churro sizes and the small dollops, which fry about 1 minute each.
- Assemble and decorate: On a serving platter, arrange for each tree: place a 2 1/2-inch churro, stack a 2-inch churro on top, followed by 1 1/2-inch churro, then the 1-inch churro on top. Place the smallest fried dollops at the peak. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of chocolate ganache over each tree and decorate with red and green sprinkles and white nonpareils for a festive finish.
Notes
- Use a star piping tip to give churros their classic ridged texture for better cinnamon sugar adherence.
- Freeze dough shapes thoroughly to maintain their form during frying; this step prevents spreading.
- Maintain oil temperature at 375° F to ensure churros cook evenly and become crispy without absorbing too much oil.
- Substitute heavy cream with coconut cream for a dairy-free ganache option.
- Store leftover churros in an airtight container and reheat in an oven to restore crispiness.
- For extra festive flair, add edible glitter or colored sugar crystals along with sprinkles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
