Thick and Spicy Chocolate Dipping Sauce From Faith: What's better than churros—those long, ridged tubes of perfectly fried dough, covered in sugar and cinnamon? The decadent, slightly spicy, aromatic chocolate sauce you dip them in! Making homemade churros is a little more work and clean-up than Senior Contributor Alex Province is willing to do, so he buys them from his favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant, El Nuevo Sarape in Hartford, or a taco truck. There's even a churro cart on Long Wharf in New Haven. Buy the churros, but make the sauce at home. It's so easy, and if you're not a churro fan, you'll find a million other uses for the sauce. Think: over ice cream or a buttery pound cake. HOW TO MAKE IT: 1) Heat cream, sugar, chocolate, chili, vanilla, orange zest, and cinnamon stick in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow ingredients to steep over low heat for a few minutes while being sure to get all the vanilla seeds scraped out from the pod. 2) Strain and place the cream back over low heat. 3) Add a pinch of salt and the chopped chocolate. With a wooden spoon, gently stir the sauce until perfectly glossy and smooth. 4) Serve piping hot in small cups or dipping bowls alongside churros. INGREDIENTS: 2 cups heavy whipping cream ½ cup white cane sugar or turbinado sugar (or to taste) 6 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate (Guittard 100% cacao) 1 red chili, sliced lengthwise 1 vanilla bean pod, cut lengthwise Zest of half an orange 1 cinnamon stick Pinch salt