Indulge in Some Ktarian Chocolate Puffs

For those of us who can't escape for a winter holiday to Ktaris, get a taste of the planet's famed and irresistible chocolate puff with this recipe.

Ktarian Chocolate Puff Recipe

Preparation: 30 minutes
Baking: 25 minutes
Makes: about 2 dozen puffs
Pairs well with: Hot cocoa or other hot beverage

Crackle Crust Ingredients

Puffs Ingredients

Directions

1. Make the crackle crust: In a small bowl, blend together the butter, brown sugar, flour, and cocoa until smooth. Spread the mixture between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out quite thin, around 1⁄8 inch thick. Place the mixture, still between the parchment paper, on a flat baking sheet and freeze while you make the puffs.

2. Make the puffs: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, 1⁄2 cup water, the sugar, salt, and butter. Cook over medium heat until the butter is entirely melted and the liquid has started to steam. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour and cocoa, making sure there are no lumps. Return to the heat and continue to cook for several more minutes until the mixture has noticeably thickened and there is a film cooked onto the bottom of the pan.

3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and beat on low with
an electric mixer to cool it down. When the mixture is no longer hot, beat in the eggs one at a time; don’t worry if the mix appears to break—just keep adding and mixing until everything is smooth.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

5. Transfer the puff dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe about two-thirds of the mixture in balls about 11⁄2 inches in diameter onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little room the balls for expansion as they bake. Pipe the remaining mixture onto the second baking sheet in smaller balls, and in equal number to the larger, as the smaller puffs will sit atop the larger ones.

6. Take the frozen crackle crust from the freezer and, working quickly, cut into rounds about the same size as the two sizes of puffs. Gently lay the crunchy disc on top of each puff.

7. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake until
they are fully puffed out and rounded, and the crust looks hardened—about 25 minutes for the larger puffs and about 20 minutes for the smaller ones. When they come out of the oven, poke each with a toothpick to release residual steam and keep the puffs from deflating. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

8. To serve: Transfer the Ktarian pudding to a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip. Poke the tip through the bottom of each puff (both sizes) and gently squeeze in the pudding until each puff is filled. Then pipe a decorative ring on top of each of the larger puffs and stack each smaller puff in the ring’s center.

9. These confections can be made several days in advance and assembled several hours ahead of serving, but any extended period beyond that will allow the puffs to get too soft.

For more recipes like this, pick up the Star Trek Cookbook!