From above, you'll see 4 to 5 golden churros encrusted with glazed fennel seeds and dazzling orange zest. Each churro is half-dipped in glossy dark chocolate, with melting rivulets reaching into the orange-fennel sugar. Small wedges of fresh orange peek from the edges, giving the plate a pop of colour.

Chocolate-dipped Orange & Fennel Churros

Name: Chocolate-dipped Orange & Fennel Churros
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons Fresh fennel seeds lightly crushed; 1 medium Orange zested and quartered; 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons Sugar for churro dough; 1/4 teaspoon Salt; 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter; 1 cup All purpose flour; 2 Eggs; 150 g Dark chocolate 70% cocoa; Vegetable oil for frying

Spanish-inspired, citrusy, slightly spicy, chocolate-lovers bliss.

Category Dessert

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 15 minutes

Style Spanish

Technique frying

Diet Friendly Vegetarian

Daily recipe · January 22, 2024

A little about this dish

Inspired by Spanish cuisine, this dessert embraces a unique ingredient not often associated with sweet treats - fennel! Paired with flavours of orange and chocolate, it takes on a new perspective and imparts surprising depth.

Ingredients (for 2)

Fresh fennel seeds — 2 tablespoons — lightly crushed
Orange — 1 medium — zested and quartered
Sugar — 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons — for churro dough
Salt — 1/4 teaspoon
Unsalted butter — 1 tablespoon
All purpose flour — 1 cup
Eggs — 2
Dark chocolate — 150 g — 70% cocoa
Vegetable oil — — for frying

Preparation

Step 1 — 🍊🔥🍬

On low heat, infuse 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons of lightly crushed fresh fennel seeds and half of the zested medium orange for 8-10 minutes. Remove the mix from heat and set it aside.
Step 2 — 🥣🧈🔥

In a small pot, melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in 1 cup of water over medium heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and bring it all to a simmer.
Step 3 — 🔥🥣🍞

Lower the heat and add 1 cup of all-purpose flour, stirring the mix rapidly until the dough comes together. Remove the dough from heat and give it a 5 minutes breather to cool down.
Step 4 — 🥣🥚🥮

Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time, into the dough mixture until a smooth and glossy dough forms.
Step 5 — 🔥🥣🍳

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Pipe the dough into oil and fry until it turns golden, then roll it all in the orange-fennel sugar mix.
Step 6 — 🍫🔥🍡

Melt 150g of 70% cocoa dark chocolate in a double boiler. Dip half of each fried dough (churro) into the melted chocolate.
Step 7 — 🍊🍽️🥳

Move the churros on a parchment-lined tray to cool, then serve them garnished with the remaining zested orange.

A final fox tip

Don't skimp on the zesting! The fresh zesty aroma of orange dramatically balances the aniseed-like fennel and adds a brightness to the dessert. For a fun twist, consider adding a pinch of paprika to the chocolate before dipping, complementing the Spanish roots and adding a hint of smokiness.