The great thing about churros is that there’s no need to wait until they rise. If you decide you’re in the mood for some, you can have them ready within a half hour. And that’s great because sometimes the thought of the wait involved really kills the mood. I added some Lotus butter to the thick batter to dial up that warm cinnamon flavor, with biscuits coating the outside for a great textured contrast. The tart berry dip, an ode to the classic jelly doughnut, is just the cherry on top.

YIELDS 17–20 CHURRO DOUGHNUTS

• 1 1/2  cups flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2  tsp baking soda
• 1/2  tsp salt
• 1/2  tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1/2  cup Lotus butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Lotus Topping

• 5 Lotus cookies, finely crushed
• 1/4  cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash salt

Jam Dip

• 1/4  cup berry jam
• 1 Tbsp boiling water
• 1/4  tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix. Pour the boiling water over it. Add oil, Lotus butter, and vanilla. Mix until a wet but cohesive dough is formed.

Place the dough in a ziplock bag and cut off the tip.

Combine the topping ingredients on a plate and set aside.

Heat 2 cups oil in a pot.

I like to pipe doughnut-shaped circles onto a parchment paper before placing them into the boiling oil, but you can also pipe straight lines, like a classic churro, straight into the oil. Use scissors to cut off the end of the dough if needed.

Fry for 2–3 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Then dredge them in the topping.

Mix the ingredients for the jam dip in a small bowl.

Serve churro doughnuts with jam dip on the side and enjoy!