Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!  I love celebrating random holidays(this is random for us since there isn't a drop of Mexican heritage in our family line) with food.  Actually I love celebrating everything with food & wine(or in this case, margaritas.)  I happen to have half a bucket of margarita slushy sitting in my freezer just in case the mercury rises over 60, but if not I have half a bottle of the premixed stuff at the ready.  Either way they'll be served up in these margarita glasses.

I've painted these margarita glasses throughout the years at one of those paint your own pottery places.  Painting pottery is one of those fun rainy day activities that can fill up hours of an otherwise grey day.  I'd take the kids, and instead of sitting around doing nothing, I'd grab one of these glasses.  I figured eventually I'd have enough for a party.

I'm bringing these fun Sombrero Cookies that Kelli at Random Thoughts of a Supermom made from FamilyFun magazine.

I'm making Chicken Enchiladas for dinner, and for dessert I'm making churros.  Here's a warning, though, these churros ended up looking a bit like male genitalia.  I don't know what happened, because I've made non-pornographic churros on multiple occasions, but you may need to protect your computer viewing space and some privacy to read the rest of this.

Churros are based on a basic pate choux dough with the addition of cinnamon.  Pate choux is the basis for cream puffs and beignets, too.  Start by bringing 1/2 cup water, 1/2 stick butter, and a pinch of salt to a rolling boil.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup rice flour and 1 tbsp cinnamon.  Dump the flour all at once into the boiling mix, stirring vigorously until the mixture comes away from the sides of the saucepan.  Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.  While it's cooling start heating up 1/2" oil in a wide pan.  I use cast iron for heat retention, but use what you have.

Beat in 2 eggs one at a time waiting until the first is completely incorporated before adding the second.  If this is your first time making a pate choux, you're going to wonder if something's wrong because the egg and dough are not going to come together right away, just keep beating.  It will.  Your arms will be on fire, but you'll be able to wear sleeveless shirts without tricep waddle.

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag.

You'll know the oil is ready when you see bubbles immediately come up from the base of chopsticks pressed to the bottom of the pan.

Cut an inch wide hole at the tip of your pastry bag, or if you're using a reusable one grab the biggest tip you own.  Pipe lines in the oil, using scissors to snip them to length.  They'll puff up.  Flip and roll as necessary.

After several minutes in the oil, they'll be puffed up and golden brown.  Remove to a paper towel to drain.  Then while still hot place in a dish with cinnamon sugar.

Roll in the cinnamon sugar until completely covered.  These can be kept warm in your oven on the lowest setting.  I like them served warm, but you can eat them cold, too.

Thanks for popping in and cooking with me.  I'm linking this up to Designs by Gollum's Foodie Fridays.