Churros with hot chocolate

Method

1. For the churros: place 300ml water in a saucepan with the oil, half the cinnamon and the lemon rind. Bring to the boil. Meanwhile, sieve the flour and salt into a bowl.

2. Once the water mixture is at a rolling boil, tip in the flour, beating well with a wooden spoon over a low heat until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Leave to cool a little, then beat in the egg.

3. For the hot chocolate: in a non-metallic bowl, melt the chocolate on high in the microwave for 2 minutes, or set the bowl over a pan of simmering water for 3 minutes.

4. Heat the vegetable or sunflower oil in a deep fat fryer to 180C. Spoon the churros mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 2.5cm star-shaped nozzle. Pipe 7.5cm lengths of dough directly into the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden, turning once. Do this in batches as it is important not to over-crowd the pan.

5. Meanwhile, mix together the remaining cinnamon and sugar on a flat plate. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked churros from the oil. Quickly drain on kitchen paper, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Pile on to a plate and finish cooking the rest of the churros in the same way.

6. To finish the hot chocolate, place the milk and cream in a small heavy-based saucepan. Using a spatula, add the melted chocolate, stirring to combine. Heat gently for a few minutes, stirring continuously until piping hot but not boiling.

7. When ready to serve, pour the hot chocolate into mugs or cappuccino cups and place the plate of churros in the centre of the table so everyone can help themselves.