Baked Churro Bites with Homemade Dulce de Leche

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar mixture. Set aside.

Add water, butter, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat until butter melts and mixture comes to a boil.

Remove from heat and mix in flour with a wooden spoon. The mixture will come together and pull away from the sides of the pot. In three additions, slowly add beaten eggs, mixing well before the next addition.

Form balls with the dough, about 1 inch big, and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Alternatively, you can fill a pastry bag with the dough and pipe it onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until churros are golden brown. Remove from oven and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture while still hot. Serve with dulce de leche.

For the dulce de leche:
Add milk, sugar, and salt (if using) in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda dissolved in water a little water. Be careful because the milk might foam up.

Return pot to heat and bring to a low simmer. Do not boil! Check mixture every 15 minutes and give it a stir to make sure it isn’t burning on the bottom. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours until mixture turns golden brown.

Store dulce de leche in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.