Baked Churros Munchies with Warm Chocolate Dipping Sauce

I like them. I love them. I want some more of them. This is more than a snack, its like Bounty, they are a quicker picker upper, half a bite will prove it. These little darlings taste like churros, have the texture of churros, but are munchkin sized. And they have a most delicious warm chocolate dipping sauce for your pleasure. (And mine)

Just a thought.. Is there ever a day in this life that mattresses aren't on sale? Really? Is there? I guess buying a mattress is the only time everyone in this world has a lucky day, because no matter what the day, they're in luck.. the mattress is on sale, and , holy toledo, they are in stock, unfreakingbelievable.

Onto this irresistible dessert. The recipe came from Pam Anderson-Cook Smart

Baked Churros Munchies

Set your oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring your 1 cup water, 1 stick butter, salt and 1 teaspoon sugar

to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Turn your heat to low, add your bleached flour

-OOOHHHH the doughboy, giggle doughboy, giggle.-

and stir with a wooden spoon

until mixture forms a soft ball.

That looks soft-ballish like to me, maybe not as round as it should be, but oh well.... this is ERs final season too, whatcha gonna do? Are you gonna cry like me? Did you cry like I did when George Clooney left?? By the way , have you met my puppy dog named Clooney, and , uh, to answer your question, no he wasn't named after George, honest to goodness, and yes, I can balance 20 teacups on my head.

This is Clooney, does he not resemble a throw rug?

OH get on with it Donna, already.. You now need to add this many eggs,

But only 1 at a time, Thoroughly stirring each one in with a wooden spoon. Let the dough stand for about 5 minutes until it can hold its shape.

IMPORTANT!!While you are waiting the 5 minutes, please humm the theme music to Jeopardy. HMMM MMMHMM HMM HMM HMM MMM , and bang your forks to the beat on the counter, ask your 4 children under 11 to join in, and hope that the men in the white jackets come to take you away. HaHa HeeHee HOHo .. to the funny farm.. where life is beautiful all the time..

This should do. Cover your cookie sheet with parchment or use those jolly good silpats. Drop a scant 2 tablespoons of dough to form balls. Bake 30 minutes, until golden.

Yes, ever observant cyberpeople, I must have made 2 trays, one with parchment, and one with jolly good silpat, why, my inner voice told me too.

Reduce your oven to 200 degrees.

Now its time to prepare the stuff that dreams are made of.

Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan, and pour in a dish( I used a bread pan, I'm very fancy and elegant, you know.)

Next mix 1 cup sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon-- I always think of emeril when I use that word..cinnnnammminimmnonm..in a bowl. Now set up your stuff , get real organized, you know.

Now, Dunk, dip, soak, drench, saturate each munchie puff in the butter

Coat in your cinnamon sugar mixture, thoroughly coat, don't be afraid, really gently roll it around in the stuff, nice thick coating is your goal. Lay it on thick.

Now poke an X in the puff bottoms -- sounds kinky to me--with a knife, and place back on your cookie sheet.

Set in your 200 degree oven for, get this, 45 minutes to 3 hours, until they crisp. It took my guys about 2 1/2 hours.. Don't worry, It will be worth it. In the meantime, don't have a cow, I have other things for you to do.

Make your warm chocolate dipping sauce.

Heat your bittersweet chocolate, 2 cups whole milk ( I used 1 %) wow, aren't I the health conscious one?

your sugar, and instant espresso,in a medium sized saucepan until chocolate melts. Now mix the cornstarchwith the water and whisk into the chocolate until it thickens.. it thickens quickly. Done!

Take your gorgeous churro puffs put of the oven,

Stop and look, just look, at the man you married,wonder why, then beat him with a wet noodle for trying to mess up your picture.

Drizzle your churro puffs with that silky smooth, warm chocolate dipping sauce you made..

yes, I know its a dipping sauce, but I like to drizzle it on, AND dip, OK? Got a problem with that? Didn't think so.. And, yes, I know I am using a gravy boat for my dipping sauce, forgive me and please just remember, and never forget, I am just the girl -who loves to cook and bake-next door type of person!!

Dip some raspberries in the chocolate too, tastes yummy.

Will the churro puffs taste good with melted vanilla ice cream, Id dare say yes.

How about some drizzled honey, You bet.

Whipped cream, oh yeah, baby.

Shot of Kahlua, now you're talking.

Use the extra warm chocolate sauce for what you wish. I know what we(FFH and I) will be using it for. --OMG--Get your minds out of the gutter people-- we will be using it for hot chocolate actually, spiked, that is.

Monica, of Lick the Bowl Good was the inspiration for this recipe. After reading about the churros on her blog, I was craving them. Thanks for the calories, Monica. Oh, FFH thanks you too, but I'm not saying why.

My Kitchen Snippets has a more traditional (fried)recipe. OMG. They look real good.

I am entering these into A Southern Grace Cinnamon Celebration Contest based on the comments. Thanks for introducing me to this blog!