Choco Sesame Ball Recipe

Chocolate Sesame Balls

Chinese-style profiteroles with a glutinous rice casing, dark chocolate filling, and crunchy sesame coating. Serves 4 / Makes 12 balls.

INGREDIENTS

• 250 grams glutinous rice flour
• 65 grams soft brown sugar (dissolved in 100ml boiling water in a jug)
• 100 milliliters cold water
• 100 grams dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids, broken into 24 pieces (for filling)
• 80 grams white sesame seeds
• 650 milliliters oil for deep frying
• 100 grams dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids (to serve)
• 1 strawberries or cape gooseberries (optional, to serve)

STEPS

1. Make the dough base: Put 250 grams glutinous rice flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. Combine dough: Stir the 65 grams soft brown sugar (dissolved in 100ml boiling water in a jug) to ensure it has dissolved. Pour it into the flour and add the 100 milliliters cold water. Combine to make a dough and knead for 5 minutes into a ball.
3. Shape into balls: Dust your hands with some rice flour and shape the dough into 12 balls roughly the size of golf balls.
4. Fill with chocolate: Holding a dough ball in one hand, use the thumb of the other to make a hole into the dough to form a cup. Press 2 pieces of 100 grams dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids, broken into 24 pieces (for filling), one on top of the other, into the hole and gather the edges of the dough together to encase the chocolate completely. Do this with all the dough, then roll each ball in your hands until perfectly round, then roll them in 80 grams white sesame seeds.
5. Melt the serving chocolate: In a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, break up 100 grams dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids (to serve) and stir with a wooden spoon until it starts to melt. Once melted, do not stir again but leave it over the hot water until you are ready to serve.
6. Deep fry: Heat 650 milliliters oil for deep frying in a deep-fat fryer or wok to 180°C / 350°F, or until a tiny piece of dough browns in 15 seconds. Deep fry the sesame seed balls a few at a time until the sesame seeds turn golden brown and the balls start to float to the surface, approximately 3–4 minutes.
7. Drain and serve: Place the cooked sesame balls on a tray lined with kitchen paper to drain off excess oil while you cook the remainder. Serve warm with the melted chocolate poured over. If you wish, cut open one of the balls on each serving and place a strawberry or cape gooseberry in the bed of chocolate.