Mini Baked Churros and a Book About Second Chances #FoodieReads

After some heavy reads that I will get to soon, I picked up The Car Share by Zoe Brisby. This was a quick, breezy read though the characters themselves were not particularly fluffy. Alex (male) picks up Max (female) as part of a ride share. I indicated genders there, because both thought they were meeting the same gender as themselves! In any case, Alex is depressed and is looking for something to take his mind off of his troubled life while Max is headed to a country that allows assisted suicide. And so their car share adventures begin.

Maxine is a hoot. She doesn't understand how to order coffee at a fancy cafe. "'I’d like a coffee.' The barista looked puzzled and waited for the rest. Seeing that nothing more was forthcoming, he was obliged to ask, 'What sort of coffee? A latte? Mochaccino? Cappuccino? Frappuccino? Macchiato? With caramel? Vanilla? Soymilk?' Maxine turned to Alex. 'When did it become so complicated to order coffee? What’s all this gibberish?' Then, she leaned towards the barista and articulated as if she were speaking to a stranger who didn’t understand the language: 'A coffee. I would like a coffee'."

She carries a flask of in her bag and knows a great deal about whisky. "I have something even better. I’ll take my medicine,' said Maxine, before rummaging in her cavernous bag and pulling out a small flask. She took a quick swig of the amber liquid inside. 'Do you want some?' 'What is it?' 'Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley 64%, the best peated whisky in the world'."

And she doesn't appreciate nouvelle cuisine. Just another reason to adore her character. "...the old lady continued, 'And then there are those chefs who place a ramekin of square apple profiteroles under your nose and say that they have "revisited the profiterole". Who asked them to reinvent profiteroles? Let alone apples!...Hands off the profiteroles."

The Car Share is a fun read that underscores the need for second chances. 

It was Max and Alex's stop at a carnival that had me headed to the kitchen. Max wants to ride the bumper cars and tells Alex, "'Bumper cars are like life. To keep moving, you have to dodge the other cars. You can choose to play it safe and stay at the edge, but that’s terribly boring! To have fun, to live, you have to take risks. You have to get in the thick of it and be ready to take a blow or give one when necessary. Plus, life and bumper cars are both rides that don’t last long, so you have to enjoy them while you can.' She grabbed him by the arm. 'Come on. Let’s do it!'

Alex objects - not because he doesn't like bumper cars - because he is still eating his churros.

I decided to make some baked mini churros this afternoon. Max would probably object on two counts: first, mine are miniature...not the full-size wands that you get at carnivals; and, second, mine are baked which renders them less crunchy and greasy than the usual. Still, these did the trick as a sweet little afternoon treat. They are so easy to make.

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Dough

• 2 Tablespoons organic granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• Also needed: piping bag if you want the ridged look

Coating

• 1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Also needed: mixing bowl or a paper bag; chocolate syrup for serving, optional

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, and butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add flour, beating with large wooden spoon until well-blended. Add in beaten eggs and stir into flour mixture until completely incorporated. 

If using a piping bag, pipe the churros as long as you want. Mine were about 2-1/2-inches long. If you aren't using a piping bag, use a spoon to drag the batter into elongated cylinders.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. While they bake, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl or a paper bag. 

Once baked, toss the churros with the sugar and cinnamon to coat.

Place the churros on individual serving platters and drizzle with chocolate syrup, if using. Serve immediately.

I haven't been very good about linking up to our #FoodieReads group. 

Here you go: the August #FoodieReads.