The family-run Cocina 35 is known for their from-scratch chilaquiles, which don’t need any fancy gimmicks to taste delicious—and neither, for that matter, do their churros.
The recipe of water, flour, sugar, and vanilla comes straight from owner Paulina Chaidez’s grandmother in Culiacán. The only liberty she takes is piping the star-shaped dough into pure vegetable oil, rather than lard. “This way the flavor is a little cleaner, a little lighter,” she says.
Cocina 35 dusts them with cinnamon and cane sugar, then serves them with a dipping cup of cajeta envinada, a dulce de leche made with goat’s milk. “It’s like caramel but thicker—it brings all the flavors together.”
While most customers pair the dessert with Mexican hot chocolate, Chaidez instead prefers café de olla, coffee spiced with cinnamon, sugar, cloves, and cacao. “Thinking of the cold nights in Mexico, we decided to add this recipe to our menu,” she says.
Chaidez has only ever made churros using her grandmother’s recipe, and it might be the only kind you ever need, too.
1435 Sixth Avenue, Downtown
Sweet Spot: Churros at Cocina 35
Photo by Lucianna McIntosh
