This is a recipe which the kids will love as well as the grown-ups. These few simple ingredients make an amazing dessert or a sweet treat using such basic ingredients.

Ingredients

• 230g of plain flour

• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 pinch of salt

• 325ml of boiling water

• 45g of butter, melted

• 85g of caster sugar

• 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon.

• Sunflower oil for cooking

• Nutella – optional

Method

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a separate bowl or jug, combine the boiling water and melted butter.

Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the water and butter. Beat this quickly with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth, thick batter with no lumps. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Next, in a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Line a separate tray with kitchen paper then set both aside.

To cook the churros, heat around 500ml of sunflower oil in a pan to around 180c. Alternatively, you can use a deep fat fryer if you have one.

Once the oil is hot place the mixture into a piping bag with a star shaped nozzle.

Pipe strips of the mixture into the hot oil snipping off each strip with a pair of scissors as you go. Be extremely careful at this stage.

Fry the churros for around 2-3 minutes or until golden brown in colour then remove them from the fryer onto the kitchen paper to drain.

Toss them in the cinnamon sugar mix and continue the process with the remaining mix.

Serve whilst still warm – best with Nutella – obviously.

Gary Townsend is the head chef and owner of Elements, Bearsden, Glasgow. Instagram @elementsgla; X @elementsgla; Facebook / elementsgla