Cinnamon Sugar Bacon Baked Churros

Directions

1. Bring eggs to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat.

3. In a large saucepan, mix water, vanilla, salt, 3 tablespoons butter and brown sugar.  Stirring occasionally, bring to a rolling boil.

4. Stir in the flour (add all at once to ensure a crispy churro), and remove from the heat.

5. Continue mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon.  A thick paste will form.  Let mixture sit for 1-2 minutes to cool slightly.

6. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Be sure to mix fast… you don’t want scrambled eggs!

7. The mixture will appear as though it isn’t combining.  Have patience and keep stirring!  Keep mixing until the ingredients are well combined and a soft and smooth dough forms.  It should pull away from the sides of the pot and form a dough ball.  This process will take approximately 3-4 minutes.

8. Once fully combined, place the batter in a large pastry bag with a star tip.  Try to pack the batter in the bag in a way that you avoid air bubbles.  If you don’t have a pastry bag, use a heavy duty zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.

9. Pipe churros (about 6 inches long) onto the baking sheets.  Snip the ends with a kitchen shears or scissors.

10. Gently brush the churros with melted butter.

11. Bake for 30-35 minutes (depending on thickness), rotating your pans halfway through.  You want the churros baked through and lightly golden brown.

12. While churros are baking, chop bacon into small pieces and cook in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Drain bacon onto a paper towel lined plate, but reserve a small amount of bacon fat.

13. Prepare icing by mixing powdered sugar and water in a small bowl.  Set aside.

14. Remove churros from oven and cool slightly on pans.

15. Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter in a medium sized, shallow bowl.

16. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in another bowl.

17. Dip the churros in the butter and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.  Once churros are all dipped and sprinkled, you will have a small amount of cinnamon sugar left.  Add this to the skillet, along with reserved bacon fat, add cooked bacon, and stir, cooking over low heat one minute to warm, and to coat the bacon.

18. Plate churros. Next, using a spoon or a small zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off, drizzle with icing, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar bacon.