Churro Dough

1. Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Heat until the butter has melted, and the mixture comes to a rolling boil.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, and add flour and sourdough discard, while stirring vigorously with a metal whisk. After the mixture is well incorporated, return the saucepan to the burner and set the burner to medium-low heat.
4. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture vigorously until the mixture becomes smooth and forms a ball. The dough should follow the spoon around the pan. It will be a very sticky but smooth dough.
5. Note: This whole process should take 1-2 minutes. Be very careful to not let the dough start cooking on the bottom of the pan. The dough should be thick enough that it will hold its shape while being piped. If the dough is sticking to the bottom of the pan or browning, your pan is too hot.
6. Remove the pan from the heat, and let the dough cool for 5 to 10 minutes. The temperature should read below 125°F.
7. Add egg. Beat vigorously until well combined.
   Spoon batter into a piping bag with a large star tip. A 1/4" star is what I used since that is what I had on hand. This yielded a fairly thin churro. In the future, I will likely opt for a wider (1/2") star to create fatter, larger churros.
8. OPTIONAL: Place the piping bag on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. You don't HAVE to follow this step, but it helped the churros hold more of their grooved shape and made the piping a bit easier. If your batter already seems super thick you can skip this step.
9. Pipe a 6" line of batter onto a parchment paper sheet. Place the cookie sheet back in the freezer for about 20 minutes. You want to be able to pick up the churro strips to place in the frying oil.
10. While the churros are chilling, heat about 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or deep pan with high sides. Oil should be heated to about 375 degrees.
    NOTE: The oil does not need to be INSANELY hot. If the dough seems to be browning very quickly, turn the heat down. Otherwise the inside will be doughy while the outside will be over baked.
11. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the parchment paper around each churro. Drop the piece of parchment paper with the churro on it into the hot oil. After a few seconds, remove the parchment paper with a pair of tongs. Dropping the parchment paper into the oil with the churro will help the churro keep its straight shape.
    Fry the churros 2 minutes per side. You should notice the churros turning a golden brown shade. If the color is darker than desired, turn down the heat. Remove churros from oil with tongs and place on paper towel to drain.
12. Coat in Cinnamon Sugar:
    Combine sugar and cinnamon on a wide, flat plate and roll churros to coat. Churros can be devoured immediately, or served with cinnamon chocolate sauce.

Creamy Cinnamon Chocolate Sauce

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of cream and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and continue to stir. Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir until the sauce thickens.
   NOTE: You can add more cinnamon, depending on your preference.