Thursday, May 1, 2014

cactus churros

i made another cinco de mayo treat.
and even though i have said we really don't celebrate this holiday i might as well admit to the fact that i am celebrating it cuz i can't stop making mexican treats. 

and this treat, i tell you guys, just made me giggle.
heeheeheehee
my family says i am nuts. and i fully agree with them.

but i love churros!
yummo for the cinnnamon sugar crunchy soft melt in your mouth treat that i get every time i go to costco. 
it's a costco staple that i have to get.

and i've always wanted to make them 
but never got around to it til now.
i googled some recipes and ended up using martha's with some minor adjustments. you can print the recipe here.

so here's what i did step by step:
i put the batter dough in a pastry bag with a star tip aside for a sec and got this ready:
i just threw in the cinnamon and sprinkles without measuring. and it wasn't exactly 1/3 cup of sugar either-you really can't mess it up cuz you'll just be covering your churros up with it.
like more sugar? add more sugar.
like more cinnamon? add more cinnamon.
don't like cinnamon sugar? what's wrong with you?
just kidding!
you can use powdered sugar like martha does as an option but i must warn you, you will end up with snow-covered cacti.

ok let's fry these babies up.
you can't tell the size from the pic but my pastry bag here is HUGE so to prevent my churros from being too thick and huge and overtaking the pot when i fried them, i squeezed just above the oil and let it hang a bit to kinda stretch out the batter to get a thinner churro before i dropped it in the oil.

so make one long churro then squeeze out the U-shaped arms of the cactus right on the top third of your cactus as shown.
the point where the 2 cactus parts meet will be less fried than the rest of the cactus. you can take the parts apart and fry them just a little more then dredge them in the sugar mixture after you drain them on a paper towel.
then when the 2 parts are covered with sugar mixture, just place them back together on the plate.

and before we go on, can i say this?
i know, they look like pickles.
there.
now that i said what you all were thinking, let's move on. 
;)

i didn't have trouble squeezing out the cactus shapes but i wanted to do it another way for you in case you did have trouble since i knew i was making a tutorial for you. 
so to troubleshoot, if you have trouble squeezing out the batter like a cactus, you can do this (but first try to forgive the pic cuz it's hard to take a pic of something frying in a pot when all the bubbles are in the way!):
and now that you have your yummy hot sugared cactus churro, you can serve them up right away.

but oh, not me, cuz i can't leave things well enough alone as you saw at the beginning of this post...so here's a closeup of the churro details.
i just used a tiny bit of the taffy to make the tiny mouths, candy glued the eyes, and stuck the topper on, well, the top!
oh yeah and i used some wilton candy mustaches too not pictured.

and now i can say they are ready.
fiesta?
why yes of course!
invite all your friends!
i suggest when you make these to eat them immediately while they are still warm to get optimal taste.
well at least you and your guests will have fun eating cacti.
just be careful of the (make-believe) cacti thorns!





30 comments:

  1. Hi Lisa - I am so glad I found you and am a new follower... LOVE your blog! It's a little slice of happy every day! Come visit over my neck of the woods when you can. Hugs for a happy week. Holly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YIPPEE TY YAY!!! so happy you found me too! and THANK YOU for following! i'm sending you hugs for a happy YEAR Holly YAY! (HHHUUUGGGSSS)

      Delete
  2. And I thought my first (and last) churro from Disney World was the cat's pajamas! These are so cute and funny! I can barely handle the major holidays (still putting bunnies away over here!) let alone add Cinco to my list, but boy if I ever need a treat like this I'll be back to try them. Probably should pick up those picks though, just to be safe - and oh! - while I'm there - Look over here! Those are new! And Lisa has those too! And bet she hasn't seen these yet.....! lol - like Holly above me says - this place is a "slice of happy every day!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sniff sniff lol lol sniff sniff...you make me laugh J. and cry with a happy tear. :)
      YOU are a major slice of happy in MY life and your comments are something i look forward to each time! you're so funny when you comment cuz it's like i am having an unspoken conversation with you and we totally get each other. ah! what a wonderful feeling that is! thank YOU a jillion times over! :>D

      Delete
  3. I had my first churro at Disney Land last year and loved it, but have not yet made any myself. They are on my list of things to do. I love how your turned them into these cute Cactus Churros, They couldn't be more perfect for Cinco de Mayo. Pinning, for sure:)

    Beth @ Hungry Happenings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. awww thank you SOOO much Beth! you bring a lot of readers over here from your pin and i cannot thank you enough! i am lousy at social media aside from blogging-i just wanna spend any time i have in the craft room or kitchen when i'm not at work. anyway, i picture you making a giant churro castle with a king and queen and prince and princess and heck, even a baby George! LOL if anyone could do that, it's definitely YOU! :)

      Delete
  4. SO CUTE! I can't believe how the churro surface mimics a cactus! Your brilliance shines once again, Lisa!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OH MY! i don't think you can get any sweeter Sue! you're just like the cookies you make, super sweet and cute and everyone loves them (you)! and about the churro cactus surface-when i thought of these i was trying to figure out how i would make the thorn/spiky part but heck i didn't have to as it was a happy accident they turned out the way they did! yay! :)

      Delete
  5. these made me laugh!!! so cute. love your crazy sense of humor. (making your food talk) love it. thanks for the idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YAY! you get my "nonsense" of humor MissyB! if you look around this blog, you will see most of my food talks-i can't help it i like to play with my food! :>O (just don't tell my kids that-lol)

      Delete
  6. Churros and cactuses are a perfect match! It really looks just like one!! And so yummy, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you Michelle! i was afraid somebody else made them but when i googled and didn't see it i went right to it hehe :>D

      Delete
  7. so creative like usual

    ReplyDelete
  8. How cute are these - I love that you turned churros into cactus for a fiesta! I made churros for the first time for a circus party and looks like I'll have to get busy with making them again. Great idea, they made me giggle too! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yahoo! it's giggles galore 'round here Kim! :>D a gajillion thank yous again! sure eould LOVE to go to your circus party-but i think i woulda hogged all your churros to myself. hehe :)

      Delete
  9. Haha...you always have the cutest recipe!

    Thanks again for joining the Link Up this week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks again Jess! and you always make me smile :>D

      Delete
  10. Oh my goodness these are just too perfect :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. talk about a perfect comment! thank YOU sooo much Linda! :)

      Delete
  11. Hey Lisa, Happy Cinco de Mayo I have never made homemade churros. I want a stand mixer. Festive, fun and clever! I bet yummy too!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. happy belated cinco de mayo to you too Theresa! thank you so much for stopping by! we ate these way before the actual holiday but yes they were yummy, especially with extra cinnamon and sugar! hehe ;)

      Delete
  12. Oh my, wouldn't these be a hit at a gathering. I have never made churros at home either, but with your tutorial I'm willing to try.
    Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop! I hope you’ll join us again next week!

    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino
    The Chicken Chick
    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hooray! i hope you will make them Kathy! they'll put a smiley on your face :>D thanks again for your link party too! :)

      Delete
  13. Really cute idea! Thanks for sharing on the Thursday Blog Hop!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love these little cactus treats! I can just picture the accents of the little cacti churros. Thanks for sharing at the Creative Ways Link Party.
    Blessings,
    Nici

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ole mi amiga! you got the accent just right! heehee thanks for stopping by Nici! :)

      Delete

here's wishing for a stuffed comment box... :>D