Plump, crispy, juicy: Delights for dumpling lovers

By Genevieve Ko, The New York Times

All the good feelings rush in with dumplings: excitement at the wisps of steam that rise from them; happiness at first bite through the dough; a thrill at hitting the filling, as it somehow always surprises even when you know what’s inside.

And there are so many — a whole world of dough plump with filling, delightful any day but especially on Lunar New Year, which falls on Wednesday. For some, they symbolize wealth and prosperity for the year ahead. But even if you’re not eating them in hopes of fortune, you’ll be rewarded with their riches: their undeniable deliciousness and the way they bring people together.

The five dumplings that follow, from recipe developers who’ve been creating dishes for New York Times Cooking for years, cover a range of tastes, but all started with loved ones gathered around a bowl of filling, floury fingers folding dumplings, gossiping, teasing, rambling. It’s not even close to a comprehensive list, but each recipe is meaningful to its maker.

While making dumplings from scratch can be a meditative solo project, shaping and eating them with a group is its own kind of bliss.

How to Host a Dumpling Party

1. Prep your guests and space.

Dumpling parties are family gatherings where everyone helps out and lingers. If those you’re having over aren’t related to you (and even if they are), they should know that they’ll be getting their hands dirty, and that the dumplings will be ready whenever they’re done helping you make them. Clear counter or table space for everyone to cook together, and be sure to get enough ingredients for each person to eat at least a dozen dumplings.

2. Set up three cooking stations.

First, prepare an assembly line, but make it a circle: Place a bowl of filling in the middle of every three to five cooks, along with wrappers and a floured sheet tray or plate. (Cooks can chat more easily if they face one another when wrapping dumplings.) Together, they’ll line up their sealed parcels like soldiers on the tray.

Next, have steamers or a pot of boiling water or nonstick skillets ready for cooking the dumplings. Cooks should have serving platters next to the stove to fill with the hot morsels.

Finally, set up a sauce bar with condiments that pair well with the dumplings, such as soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and chile crisp. That way, each person can create a blend to taste. (If a recipe calls for a specific sauce, task someone with prepping it or do it before guests arrive.)

Guests can spend time at each of the stations or stay put at one. (With luck, some saints will volunteer to create a dishwashing station.)

3. Serve them hot.

For nonstop nibbling, have people rotate among the stations to assemble, cook and eat as batches are ready. For a sit-down feast, everyone can help assemble the dumplings at the same time. Once the last one is pinched shut, the dumplings can be cooked all at once in a big pot of boiling water, a stack of bamboo steamers or multiple big skillets. (Assembled more dumplings than you can eat? Freeze uncooked ones spaced apart on a tray until rock hard, then transfer them to resealable containers or freezer bags. Cook them directly from their frozen state for up to three months.)

Whatever you do, always remember that there’s a rhythm to making dumplings: a fill, fold, pleat and pinch that quiets the soul when practiced alone — and swells it with chatter and laughter when done together.

Kimchi Napjak Mandu (Flat Dumplings)

By Eric Kim

Kimchi lovers can rejoice in these fun-to-make (and eat!) dumplings. With less filling than other Korean-style dumplings, these fry up flat and eat more like jeon, the category of pan-fried fritters or pancakes that are the star of Korean party food, especially during holidays such as Seollal, the Korean New Year. A final flourish of gochugaru, sea salt and scallions tops the mandu, reflecting how these are typically served on the streets of Daegu, the southeastern city in South Korea known for this style of flat dumpling. Although napjak mandu are traditionally shaped like half moons, the use of square wonton wrappers folded into triangles results in more surface area, and in turn, more crunch.

Yield: 50 to 60 dumplings

Total time: 2 hours

Ingredients

For the dipping sauce (optional):

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar

For the mandu:

• 3 ounces dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato glass noodles; see note)
• 1 packed cup drained, very ripe kimchi, finely chopped (about 10 ounces)
• 4 large scallions, finely chopped, plus more for serving
• 4 teaspoons coarse gochugaru (see note), plus more for serving
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce or fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Salt
• 50 to 60 store-bought or homemade 3-inch square wonton wrappers
• Olive or neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable, for frying
• Flaky sea salt, for serving

Preparation

1. Make the dipping sauce, if using: In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water; set aside.

2. Make the mandu: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the noodles directly to a colander to drain and cool slightly, about 1 minute, leaving the remaining water in the pot. Finely chop the noodles and add to a medium bowl.

3. To the bowl with the noodles, add the kimchi, scallions, gochugaru, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Stir to combine, then season to taste with salt.

4. Assemble the dumplings: Using a mini cookie scoop or a spoon, plop about 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of a dumpling wrapper. Dip your fingertips into a bowl of water and wet the four edges; fold the dumpling in half diagonally to create a triangle, pressing the edges to seal. Transfer to a large parchment-lined sheet pan and repeat with the rest of the filling and dumpling wrappers. (If you’re not cooking off the dumplings right away, you can freeze them on the sheet pan at this step, then, once frozen, transfer to a resealable bag and freeze for up to 2 months.)

5. Bring the pot of water to a boil again and, working in batches and without crowding the pot, boil the dumplings until their wrappers go from looking matte to shiny (the dumplings may float, as well), about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the dumplings to a plate. If you have a microwave, microwave them on high for 20 to 30 seconds to turn any residual water to steam, or simply drain them on a paper towel. This optional microwaving step also removes any water and air bubbles inside the dumplings, so the wrapper tightens around the filling.

6. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium, then add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. Fry the dumplings in batches, flipping once or twice, until a little crispy and lightly browned on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per batch. They may balloon during this process (that’s a good thing). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

7. To serve, sprinkle the dumplings with some finely chopped scallions, gochugaru and flaky sea salt. Enjoy with the dipping sauce.

Tips

Dangmyeon are wonderfully bouncy, chewy, translucent noodles made from sweet potato starch. Available online and in any Korean grocery store, they come in large plastic bags, as the dried noodles are long and stiff until they’re cooked. Often labeled as glass noodles, sweet potato noodles or Korean vermicelli, starchy dangmyeon become slack, slippery and beautifully shiny once boiled.

Gochugaru, a flavorful Korean red-pepper powder, ranges from a fine dust to tiny coarse flakes. Try to buy the coarse variety, both for deeper, sweeter flavor and for color, a gleaming crimson. You can find gochugaru at Korean and other Asian supermarkets and at many grocery stores, as well as online.

Chile Oil Wontons

By Sue Li

This classic recipe shows you how easy — and satisfying — it is to make your own chile oil wontons at home. Here, they’re shaped to resemble gold ingots, a Chinese symbol of good fortune and wealth, but feel free to wrap them however you like. A crucial step here is making the sauce for the wontons, which can be done in advance and starts with mixing your own chile oil. (Save any extra sauce to use with fried eggs, tofu, potatoes, rice, chicken or anything, really.)

Yield: About 50 wontons

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

For the wontons:

• 1 pound ground pork or ground chicken
• 1/4 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or sherry (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• Cornstarch, for dusting
• About 50 homemade or store-bought wonton wrappers (from one 12- to 14-ounce package), thawed if frozen

For the sauce:

• 6 garlic cloves, smashed and coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
• 1 whole star anise
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

For serving:

• 3 tablespoons roasted, unsalted peanuts, finely ground or chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely ground Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Make the wontons: Combine the pork, shrimp, sesame oil, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine (if using), white pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl. Mix with a spatula until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

2. Prepare your tools for wrapping the wontons: Dust a large rimmed baking sheet or large platter with cornstarch and fill a small bowl with water.

3. Assemble the wontons: Hold a wonton wrapper in your hand and rotate it so it sits like a diamond, with a tip at the top. Spoon about 1 scant tablespoon of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Dip a finger into the water and dab the top triangle of the diamond and fold in half, lifting the bottom corner to meet the top corner and aligning the wrapper edges so you get a triangular shape, then press firmly to seal. Dab some more water on one corner of the triangle and then press the opposite dry corner on top to seal. Set the wonton on the cornstarch-dusted tray or platter and proceed with the rest of the filling and wrappers, making about 50 wontons.

4. Cover the wontons with plastic wrap and place in the fridge while you prepare the sauce. (See note for freezing instructions.)

5. Make the sauce: Combine the garlic, scallions, crushed red pepper, sesame seeds, bay leaf and star anise in a medium heatproof bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot over medium-high until it is very hot and almost smoking, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully pour the hot oil into the bowl over the garlic mixture. Allow the sizzling to subside and then add the sweet soy sauce, dark soy sauce and rice vinegar. (You can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance; keep it covered and refrigerated.)

6. Make the garnish: Combine the ground peanuts, Sichuan peppercorns and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a small bowl.

7. Boil and serve the wontons: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the wontons in batches, depending on the size of your pot. Gently drop the wontons in the boiling water and cook over medium heat until they float to the top, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the wontons with a slotted spoon or a spider, making sure to shake out the water with each removal and transfer them to a serving bowl right away.

8. Spoon the sauce over the hot wontons and sprinkle with the ground peanut mixture and scallions.

Tip

If you are not ready to boil the wontons right away, tightly wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. To boil from frozen: Follow the cooking instructions in Step 7, cooking the dumplings until they float to the top, 6 to 7 minutes.

Gok Jai (Vegetable Crystal Dumplings)

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

A regional specialty of Zhongshan in China’s Guangdong province, this dumpling illustrates the diversity of these tasty morsels across China. With its translucent skin, this crystal dumpling is a vegetarian version of Zhongshan gok jai, which traditionally includes dried shrimp and pork. The skin, made from wheat, tapioca and potato starches, is chewy, with a notable bounce, and the tofu-and-vegetable filling is savory and textural. A long knead is crucial to achieving an elastic dough that doesn’t crack when steamed and will deliver its distinctive texture when cooked through. The unconventional use of a tortilla press makes short work of flattening the dough into disks, but a small rolling pin works as well.

Yield: 45 to 50 dumplings

Total time: 3 1/2 hours

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 3 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for at least 30 minutes
• 1/4 cup (7 grams) dried wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated in boiling water for 30 minutes
• 1 small carrot (about 3 ounces), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 small celery stalk (about 2 ounces), cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 (8-ounce) can whole or sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 4 ounces extra-firm tofu, torn into large chunks
• 1/4 cup (30 grams) pickled mustard stems (also known as zha cai), roughly sliced
• Neutral oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 5 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
• Salt and white pepper
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the dough:

• 3 cups (720 milliliters) boiling water
• 1 (16-ounce) packet wheat starch
• 1 cup (120 grams) tapioca starch
• 2 tablespoons potato starch

For serving:

• Chile crisp or chile oil (optional)

Preparation

1. Prepare the filling: Drain the soaked shiitake mushrooms, squeezing out any excess water, and cut them in half (it’s OK to leave the stalks on). Repeat with the wood ear mushrooms.

2. The filling ingredients can be chopped into small, uniform pieces by hand with a knife, or in a food processor. If using a food processor, only use the pulse button in short bursts, as the ingredients should get chopped into small pieces rather than puréed or blended. For the processor, add the carrot and celery and pulse until they are in small chunks. Add the shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, water chestnuts, tofu and pickled mustard stems; pulse about 20 times until everything looks finely chopped. If there are any larger pieces, take them out and chop them up by hand.

3. Heat a large skillet on medium-high. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of oil and then add the chopped filling ingredients. Add the sugar and toss to combine. Cook until the celery and mushrooms have softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and toss to combine. Turn off the heat. Taste and then season very well with 11/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt and a big pinch of pepper. The filling should taste on the edge of being too salty, because the wrappers are neutral in flavor. Add the scallions and cornstarch and toss well to combine. Transfer to a bowl, then set aside.

4. To make the dough, you will need a large pot with a lid and boiling water. (The temperature is essential here, as the boiling water heats the starches, which makes them gelatinous so the wrappers achieve their chewy texture.) Place the wheat starch, tapioca starch and potato starch into the pot and whisk to combine. Carefully pour in the boiling water and stir to combine as much as you can. (There’s no need to fully combine; there will be lots of dry flour.) Immediately cover with the lid to allow it to steam for 10 minutes.

5. The dough will still be very hot, so wear some disposable gloves, if needed. Using your hands or a flexible pastry scraper (or both!), bring the dough together in the pot until the dry starch is mixed in and it has become a big, craggy mass.

6. Add a few drops of neutral oil to a clean work surface. Turn out the dough and knead it until it goes from sticky to smooth, less sticky, slightly tacky and more elastic, about 10 minutes. The flexible pastry scraper is helpful in moving the dough around and lifting the sticky dough off the work surface. You can also knead it in a stand mixer by first greasing the bowl then using a dough hook on medium speed for 7 to 8 minutes, stopping to scrape the dough off the bottom and sides when needed. If the dough is too hard to handle at any point of the kneading, spread a tiny amount of oil on your hands to make working with the dough easier.

7. Wash your hands. Cut the dough into 6 even pieces, cover with a wet tea towel, and let it sit for 5 minutes while you clean your work area. (It’s good practice to wash your hands often, as any bits of dough stuck to your hands will make handling this dough harder.)

8. Taking one piece of dough at a time, roll it out into a long, 1 1/2-inch-thick log. Cut into eight 1-inch pieces (add any end pieces back to other dough). Working with one piece at a time, roll into a ball and then, either using a small rolling pin or a tortilla press (cover both sides in plastic wrap or parchment paper so it doesn’t stick), roll or press each ball into a 1/4-inch-thick flat disk that is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Do not roll it too thin, as the dough tears easily. After you have rolled or pressed these 8 wrappers, fill them before working with the next piece of dough.

9. Place the wrapper in the palm of your hand and add 2 heaped teaspoons of the filling (do not overfill). Fold in half and pinch the edge together firmly to seal the filling. Starting at one corner, and using your thumb, fold and pinch small pleats into the edge, to form a crimped, braided pattern, until you reach the other corner. Place on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and continue folding the remaining dumplings. (There is no need to cover them, as they will be fine sitting out until you are ready to cook. If you would like to freeze at this stage, see note below for instructions.)

10. Set up your steamer: Place 2 to 3 inches of water into a wide pot (make sure it fits your bamboo steamer or steaming basket), cover and bring to a boil. Line a bamboo steamer or steamer basket with liner sheets or parchment paper (cut a few slits with scissors to let air flow). Arrange the dumplings in the steamer, making sure they don’t touch one another or the side of the steamer, and carefully set the steamer on top of the pot. Steam over medium-high heat until the dumplings look slightly translucent, 12 to 14 minutes. They will become more translucent as they cool. (If the dumplings stick together or to the sides of the steamer, pour water over the top to loosen them without tearing.) Continue cooking the remaining dumplings, making sure to top up the water often.

11. Traditionally the dumplings are eaten unadorned, without sauces, but they are very nice eaten with your choice of chile crisp or chile oil.

Tips

To freeze, place uncooked dumplings onto a parchment paper-lined plate or tray and freeze until the skin is firm. Transfer them into a zip-top bag to store; they can be frozen for up to 3 months. To cook, steam from frozen for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the dumplings look translucent.

Depending upon how much filling you use in each dumpling, you might have leftovers. Save leftover filling to make more dumplings with regular store-bought wrappers, use as an omelet filling, or toss through fried rice.

Beef Dumplings With Zucchini, Tofu and Chives

By Kay Chun

These beef dumplings are packed with zucchini and tofu, which keep the filling tender and juicy. The ground meat is lightly marinated before mixing with plenty of buchu, a lovely allium with long flat leaves and a mild garlic flavor. (You can find these fragrant Korean chives in any Korean market). There’s a hidden surprise here, too: Buttery pine nuts get tucked into each dumpling before enclosing them.

Yield: 52 dumplings

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1-inch matchsticks (2 cups)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 14 ounces ground beef (preferably 20% fat)
• 8 ounces firm tofu, cut into 2 or 3 slices
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Korean chives

For assembly:

• Cornstarch, for dusting
• 1 (10-ounce) package dumpling wrappers (about 52), thawed, or homemade wrappers
• 2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts

For the dipping sauce and serving:

• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon pine nuts, minced
• Neutral oil, for cooking

Preparation

1. Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine zucchini and 1 teaspoon of the salt, toss to combine, then let stand for 15 minutes. Gently squeeze out and discard excess liquid from the zucchini. (It’s OK for some moisture to remain.)

2. While the zucchini sits with salt, in a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the scallions with the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and sugar, plus 1 teaspoon of the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix well. Add beef, and using your hands, gently mix until well blended. Let stand until zucchini is ready.

3. Press tofu between paper towels to remove excess water, then crumble over beef mixture. Add the zucchini, the Korean chives and the remaining 1/4 cup scallions, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; gently mix until well incorporated.

4. Wrap the dumplings: Lightly dust a baking sheet with cornstarch. Fill a small bowl with water. Keep the wrappers covered with a damp paper towel or kitchen towel.

5. Place 1 slightly heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center of a wrapper. Add 2 pine nuts, poking them into the filling. Dip a fingertip in the water and lightly moisten half of the wrapper edge. Fold in half to enclose the filling and form a half-moon shape, pushing out any air bubbles. Firmly press together to seal. To pleat, start at one end and pinch the top of the wrapper at regular intervals to form 5 pleats, pressing so the wrapper sticks to itself. (Use an index finger to push in the pleat and, with your thumb and index finger on the other hand, pinch wrapper together, much like crimping pie dough.) Transfer dumpling onto the prepared sheet, pleated side up. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. (If you’d like to freeze some dumplings, see note below.)

6. Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar; mix well.

7. To pan-fry the dumplings (skip to the next step for steaming instructions): Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 10-inch, lidded nonstick skillet over medium-low. Add 12 dumplings, pleated side up, and cook until golden brown underneath, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet, cover and cook until all of the water is absorbed and the dumplings are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Carefully transfer to a serving platter. (Clean the skillet and repeat with 2 tablespoons oil and 12 dumplings as many times as desired.)

8. To steam the dumplings: Add about 1 inch of water to a steamer pot and bring to a boil over medium-high. Line a bamboo or metal steamer insert with parchment paper and arrange dumplings 1 inch apart. Place the insert on top of the steamer and steam until dumpling skins are translucent and filling is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Carefully transfer to a serving platter.

9. Scatter the minced pine nuts over the dipping sauce and serve with the warm dumplings.

Tip

Assembled uncooked dumplings freeze very well; arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the freezer until frozen, then transfer to resealable plastic bags and store for up to 3 months. To serve, follow Step 8 to steam the frozen dumplings, increasing the cook time to 8 minutes.

Chocolate Sesame Dumplings

By Genevieve Ko

Can you wrap just about any filling in dough and consider it a dumpling? These bite-size desserts prove you can. Lightly salted melted chocolate, creamy like a truffle, is stuffed into chewy homemade wrappers, naturally sweet from glutinous rice flour. Taking cues from black sesame treats often made for Lunar New Year, these sticky steamed dumplings include toasted sesame oil in both the filling and wrapper. Making dumplings from scratch is a fun group project and these are especially great for kids. The dough is the easiest possible kind to shape — it doesn’t require a rolling pin; it’s simply rolled into balls, then pressed into flat rounds by hand.

Yield: 16 dumplings

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 4 ounces (114 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate bar, broken into pieces, or chocolate chips or a combination
• 1/4 cup (84 grams) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• For the wrappers and serving:
• 1 1/4 cups (140 grams) glutinous rice flour (see note), plus more for kneading
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Black or white sesame seeds or a combination (optional), for sprinkling

Preparation

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. 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. Make the wrappers: Put the flour in a medium bowl. Bring 1/2 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.