Chocolate churros with chocolate & salted caramel sauce

Start cooking opens one step at a time with read-aloud and hands-free voice control — “next”, “repeat”, “how much salt”, “timer 10 minutes”.

1. 1To make the sauce, tip the sugar and butter into a saucepan and bring to a simmer until the sugar has melted, then stir through the cream and simmer until you have a smooth sauce, about 2-3 mins.
2. 2Take the pan off the heat, stir through a pinch of sea salt and the chocolate, and continue to stir for 2-3 mins, or until it has completely melted. Keep warm or leave to cool for reheating later.
3. 3For the coating, mix the sugar with the cinnamon and a small pinch of fine sea salt and set aside.
4. 4For the churros, tip the flour, cocoa, baking powder and a large pinch of salt into a bowl.
5. 5Add the vanilla extract and melted butter, then gently pour in 250-300ml boiling water and whisk to make a smooth, very thick batter.
6. 6RestLeave to cool for a few minutes, then scrape the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle.
7. 7Tip sunflower oil into a deep-fat fryer following the manufacturer’s instructions, or a heavy-based pan, ensuring it is no more than a third full.
8. 8Heat to 170°C / 350°F, or until a cube of bread dropped in browns in 30 seconds. Pipe 12-15cm lengths of dough into the oil, snipping off the end of each one with a pair of scissors as you go.
9. 9Pipe four or five at a time and leave to cook for around 4 mins, or until golden and crisp, turning them with tongs or a slotted spoon as they cook. Remove from the oil and put the on a wire rack.
10. 10Repeat with the rest of the dough. Leave to cool if reheating later, otherwise roll the churros in the cinnamon sugar and serve immediately while it's hot with the warm chocolate sauce and ice cream.
11. 11ServeTo reheat the churros, put on a tray and bake in the oven for 5-8 mins, then roll in the sugar coating. In the meantime, warm the sauce in a pan and serve alongside for dipping.