Churros served with salted macadamia caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream

Reuben makes delicious Churros served with macadamia caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Taps will be the focus in our makeover and design trends. Reuben will then pair his dish with some of South Africa’s top Brandy.

Ingredients

  • Vanilla  ice cream
    • 175ml Full Fat Milk
    • 200g caster sugar
    • 125g double cream
    • 2 Vanilla pods, seeds scrapped
    • 1 large egg
    • 350ml Double cream
  • Macadamias
    • 100g macadamias
  • Salted caramel sauce
    • 1 cup Water
    • 2 cups White Sugar
    • 1 cup Cream
    • ¼ tsp Maldon salt
  • Churros
    • 1 cup of water
    • 2 Tbsp of brown sugar
    • ½ tsp of salt
    • 1/3 cup of butter
    • 1 cup flour
    • 2 eggs
    • ½ tsp vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup of sugar
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp whole aniseed
    • 1 tsp ground ginger
    • 2ml ground cloves
    • 2ml ground cardamom

Method

  1. Start by making the ice cream.
    1. Take a saucepan and add the milk heat over medium heat
    2. In a separate bowl add the sugar, 125g double cream.
    3. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise, scraping off all the seeds.
    4. Add the seeds to the saucepan.
    5. Now, add the egg and Whisk to combine.
    6. While you are whisking the egg mixture, pour in the hot milk, whisking gently till combined.
    7. Clean the milk pan and pour the egg milk mixture back into the pan.
    8. Cook until a velvety like custard consistency, stirring constantly.
    9. When the mixture has thickened, take the pan off the heat and pour into a bowl.
    10. Place the mixture in the freezer, to cool for roughly 15 minutes.
    11. Meanwhile, pour some double cream into a bowl and whisk until a soft peak consistency.
    12. By lightly whipping the cream, it adds a lightness to the ice cream
    13. Once the mixture has cooled add the whipped cream and gently fold together.
    14. Now Place the mixture into an ice cream maker and eave to churn for roughly 1 hour
    15. When done, remove and place into a container and freeze until set.
  2. Now for the Roasted Macadamia nuts
    1. Place the macadamia nuts  on a roasting tray  and pop them into a preheated oven on 180 C  for 10mins.
    2. Nuts tend to burn quite quickly so keep a watchful eye on them.
  3. Now for our dipping sauce.
    1. Take a saucepan and add water and sugar into the pan it is not necessary to stir.
    2. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. This takes about 5 min.
    3. If the sugar is stirred while caramelizing, it will crystallize and form lumps.
    4. Now, turn the heat up to high until it turns golden brown and take off the heat, keep it aside.
    5. Meanwhile take another pot and add the cream
    6. Heat till just below boiling point and slowly whisk the sugar water into the cream, being careful not to allow it to boil over the edge.
    7. Continue whisking until well mixed.
    8. Now add the salt and the roasted macadamia nuts and combine well together.
    9. Remove from the heat and leave to cool and thicken slightly.
    10. The continuous whisking, after the cream has been added, will help prevent the caramel from boiling over.
    11. Now that the sauce is complete, let’s move onto the cinnamon sugar mix.
    12. Take a small bowl and add the sugar and cinnamon together mix well and keep aside for later.
  4. Now for the Churros mixture
    1. In a mixing bowl add the flour, aniseed, ginger, cloves, and cardamom and mix to combine and keep it aside.
    2. Next, take a saucepan and add the water, brown sugar, salt, and the butter into the pan and bring to the boil over high heat.
    3. Now, remove from the heat and add the flour spice mix one spoon at a time while stirring until well combined.
    4. The aniseed, ginger, cloves and cardamom will give the churros a wonderful South Africa twist.
    5. In another bowl add the eggs and the vanilla now lightly whisk together.
    6. Take the egg mixture and add it to the spice flour mixture.
    7. Stir until well blended ensuring there are no lumps.
    8. Now, take your piping bag and fit with a star nozzle.
    9. Fill the spice flour mixture into the piping bag.
    10. Keep it aside.
    11. The star nozzle is essential to give it the traditional churros shape.
    12. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer to 190C.
    13. Getting the oil to the right temperature is important to get nice crisp churros,  that aren’t oily.
    14. If using a pot have a thermometer ready, but a fryer is first prize.
    15. First test the oil by dropping in a small amount of dough, it should float and bubble rapidly.
    16. When the oil is ready pipe out 10cm sections of dough into the hot oil, taking care not to over crowd the pan/fryer.
    17. If necessary, turn the churros in the oil with metal tongs.
    18. The use of a metal instrument is essential as the oil will be piping hot and will melt plastic.  
    19. Now Fry the churros until golden brown.
    20. Remove from the oil and place on paper towel to soak up the excess oil.
    21. While your churros are still hot roll them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
  5. Now for the plating  of this dessert.
    1. Serve the Churros alongside the salted caramel macadamia sauce and the vanilla ice cream.
    2. A Perfect entertaining dish for a group of friends.