Pumpkin Churros with Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:

Churros:

• 2 cups premium flour
• 2.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp of chopped ginger and a little more will need to be added at the end
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 10 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar, for rolling the churros
• Special equipment: piping bag with a large star-shaped tip

Preparation:

1. Chocolate dipping sauceIn a small saucepan, heat the cream until it's almost bubbly. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute. Gently stir until smooth. Stir in the coffee liqueur and vanilla extract. Keep the sauce warm.
2. Mini churrosIn a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, nutmeg, and salt. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water, pumpkin puree, butter, and vanilla to a boil, stirring constantly.
   
   Pour the pumpkin mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combined; the consistency will be sticky. Mix in the eggs thoroughly, one at a time. The dough should be smooth and sticky. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star-shaped tip with the dough.
3. Pour canola oil into a deep frying pan to a depth of 5 cm and heat the oil to 180°C (you can measure the temperature with a sugar thermometer or deep-fry thermometer).
   
   Press the dough from the bag directly into the pan in 8-cm-long pieces, trimming them with scissors. Fry until the churros are golden and crispy, 4-5 minutes.
4. In a medium shallow bowl, combine the sugar and the remaining 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon. Transfer the churros to a baking sheet or plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil, then immediately roll the churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
   
   Serve with chocolate dipping sauce.