Chocolate Sesame Dumplings

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Make the filling: Put the chocolate in a large metal bowl and set over a medium saucepan with an inch of simmering water. Stir occasionally until two-thirds of the chocolate is melted. Take the bowl off the saucepan and gently stir until the rest is melted. Gently stir in the sweetened condensed milk, sesame oil and salt until smooth.

2. Step 2

   The filling should be thick enough to scoop. If not, let it sit at cool room temperature until it is. Scoop then roll into 16 even balls. Set the balls aside at room temperature if your kitchen is cool, or, if your space is warm, refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Step 3

   Make the wrappers: Put the flour in a medium bowl. Bring ½ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat, then stir the sesame oil into the water using chopsticks or a fork. Immediately add the liquid to the flour in a slow, steady stream while stirring. Continue stirring until the mixture resembles pebbles.

4. Step 4

   When the flour mixture is cool enough to touch, squeeze and gather it into a shaggy ball in the bowl. Cover with a clean damp kitchen or paper towel and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Step 5

   Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until smooth and tacky. It will feel a bit sticky, but shouldn’t feel wet or stick to your fingers. If it does, continuously dust the work surface with flour until the dough no longer clings to anything. Roll the dough into a log and cut into 16 even pieces.

6. Step 6

   Cover the dough with the damp towel. Take one piece and roll it into a ball, then hold the ball in your hands and use your fingers to press it into a 3-inch round, flattening the edges thinner than the center, flouring your fingers if needed. Place a chocolate ball in the center. Pleat the dough around the ball, then gather the pleated edges together to encase the filling and pinch and twist off the very top. (You can skip the pleating as well and simply gather the dough around the filling and pinch to seal it.) The filling should be enclosed. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. (The dumplings can be frozen on a plate until solid, then frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.)

7. Step 7

   Line a bamboo or metal steamer with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Heat the water in the steamer to a simmer. Put the dumplings in the steamer, spacing them an inch apart. You’ll probably need to cook them in batches or stack two bamboo steamers to cook simultaneously.

8. Step 8

   Cover and steam over medium-low heat until the dough is tender, pearlescent and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. (Frozen dumplings can be steamed directly from the freezer; they cook in 8 to 10 minutes.) Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you’d like. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.