I would like to bring chocolate (the thick kind) and churros to work. Since I can't cook there, I thought I'd make it all at home and bring it in the morning. Can anyone help me with these questions?

1. I'm finding recipes for churros with eggs and without. Are the eggs necessary?

2. The Tienda.com recipe claims the churros can be frozen and reheated in a toaster. Has anyone tried reheating them in a toaster? Is the texture all right? Still "crujiente?"

3. Has anyone come across a brand of dark chocolate, easily available in the US, they can recommend for "chocolate a la taza" when made with milk, cornstarch and sugar?

4. And lastly, I'm pretty sure I've seen frozen churros in the "congelados" section in Spanish supermercados. Has anyone seen them in the US? And how do you reheat the frozen kind in Spain?

Muchas gracias, from the ever-inquisitive Diana.

Hi Diana --

With regards to chocolate, I know that Freshfields (I don´t know if there is one in West Chester, I know the one in Wynnewood) sells Venezuelan dark chocolate which I would be willing to bet would be perfect for the chocolate a la taza.

I know it´s a cop-out, but have you tried the powdered hot chocolate? I am not sure if tienda.com sells it, one of my favorites is Paladín.

Can´t help you with the churros as I eat mine fresh a couple mornings a week at the bar on the corner!

Good luck with the recipes!

P.S. On an unrelated note... do you by chance subscribe to the Main Line Times?

Hi Chica!

Thanks for the info! There's no Freshfields in West Chester, but I know there's one somewhere around here. I've been more than happy with the new Wegman's in Downingtown - absolutely fantastic! - and I bought some dark Puerto Rican chocolate there - and then my daughter found it and it was gone before I knew it...

Between Wegman's and Trader Joe's in Devon we're doing great here. Tienda.com does sell powdered chocolate, and I'm tempted.

In the meantime I realized how foolish I was looking for recipes online when I have an entire bookshelf of Spanish cookbooks from Spain. I won't be using eggs for the churros!
I still need a pastry bag, though.

If the chocolate and churros come out well, I'll come back and post what I did.

And as for the unrelated note - no, I'm not familiar with the Main Line Times - sorry!

Chica writes: Cop out??
I was having breakfast in a cafeteria next to the Mercado in Huelva (we had bought our churros at a Churreria next to the Bull Ring - a relative had recommended that for the best Churros in town). I ordered a taza de Chocolate (I hate to drink coffee out of a glass) and they brought me a single serving envelope of Paladin. It was great! I looked for the single serving envelopes in several stores but haven't had any luck. So I try to bring a couple of 300g cans of Paladin when I come home. My granddaughters love it!

The customs people look at me kinda funny when I tell them I have powdered chocolate: 'Yeah! So what's really in those cans?? I have been able to pass without incident.

When I ran out of Paladin I used single serving envelopes of dark chocolate (two, for a 12oz. cup) with hot milk, not water, and produce an acceptable substitute.
BTW
Paladin is from Barcelona (the Company & the factory)