Chocolate Sesame Crème Pâtissière:

1. Since the crème pâtissière will need time to cool and set, make that first. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and pale yellow.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring milk to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Slowly pour a small amount of hot milk into egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. (This gently raises the temperature of the eggs so that they don’t end up scrambled.) After egg yolk mixture has been tempered, slowly pour in remaining milk while continuously whisking.
4. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to keep mixture from scorching and lumps from forming. When the mixture starts to thicken and bubbles begin to appear, turn heat down to low and continue to whisk for a couple minutes more.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until thoroughly combined and melted. Place a metal sieve over a heat-safe bowl, then strain crème pâtissière. Fold in chocolate sesame sauce.
6. Immediately press cling film directly onto surface. (This keeps a skin from forming.)
7. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. Store in fridge until you’re ready to make the crème légère.

Cocoa Craquelin:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Add softened butter. Stir and smush ingredients together until butter has been fully incorporated. (If necessary, get in there with your hands to really bring everything together.)
2. Cut 2 pieces of wax paper that are 12–18" long. Place one on your work surface.
3. Place craquelin dough on wax paper. Set other piece of wax paper on top. With your rolling pin, roll out dough to ¹/₈" thick.
4. Slide dough/wax paper sandwich onto baking sheet. Place in freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Pâte à Choux:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium pot, combine milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt. Over medium heat, melt butter and let mixture just begin to boil.
3. Remove pot from heat and add flour to liquid mixture all at once. With a wooden spoon, quickly stir until thoroughly combined and the mixture forms a ball.
   NOTE: Make sure to find and incorporate any hidden clumps of flour.
4. Place pot back on medium heat. Continuously mix with wooden spoon until dough reads 175°F on an instant-read thermometer. (This step helps dry out the dough, which is vital.)
   NOTE: No thermometer? No problem. Look for a starchy film to form inside the pan and for the dough to pull together.
5. Transfer dough to bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium until dough registers 145°F. (Before continuing on, the dough should still be warm but no longer steaming. You don’t want it to cook the eggs!)
6. Crack eggs into a liquid measuring cup or another small vessel with a spout. Lightly whisk together.
7. With mixer on medium-low speed, slowly stream in one third of the whisked eggs. After the egg is incorporated, scrape down bowl as necessary. Repeat 2 more times until all eggs have been added.
8. Scrape down bowl, then beat dough on medium speed for 10–20 seconds.
9. Fit a piping bag with a large round piping tip. (We used an Ateco 804 tip.) Transfer pâte à choux to piping bag. Pipe a dozen (12) 1.5-inch mounds onto prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between the puffs.
   NOTE: If your mounds have little points, gently flatten ‘em with a wet fingertip.
10. Retrieve craquelin from freezer. With a 2-inch round cutter, cut 12 circles from the craquelin dough. ^[4–5]
11. Place one craquelin circle atop each mound. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, if you like.
12. Bake for 50–60 minutes. Puffs are done when they feel hollow, are golden brown on bottoms, and are… well… puffy.
13. Remove puffs from oven. Using a paring knife, poke a small vent into the side of each puff. (This allows the steam to escape more easily.) Place puffs back on baking sheet.
14. Turn off oven. Return puffs to warm oven and leave ‘em in there with the door propped open for 30 minutes. (This helps them dry out even more.)
15. After their second oven visit, if the puffs are still warm, transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate Sesame Crème Légère:

1. When it’s just about time for puff stuffin’, place metal mixing bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for 15 minutes.
2. Retrieve chocolate sesame crème pâtissière from fridge and whisk it a little to loosen it up.
3. In the chilly bowl of a stand mixer fitted with cold whisk attachment, whip heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form.
4. With a silicone spatula, gently fold about ¼ of the whipped cream in your pastry cream. Add half of remaining whipped cream and gently fold into crème pât. Add the rest of the whipped cream, then gently fold into pastry cream.
5. Fit a piping bag with a large round piping tip. (We used an Ateco 803 tip.) Transfer crème légère to piping bag.
6. Store in fridge while you make whipped cream.

Vanilla Whipped Cream:

1. Wash mixer bowl and whisk attachment with cold water; dry thoroughly. Pop into freezer for 15 minutes.
2. In the chilly bowl of a stand mixer fitted with cold whisk attachment, whip heavy cream, Greek yoghurt, vanilla, and salt until stiff peaks form.
   NOTE: The extra fat and acid from the Greek yoghurt helps stabilize the whipped cream so that it pipes nicely.
3. Fit a piping bag with a medium star piping tip. (We used an Ateco 823 tip.) Transfer whipped cream to piping bag.
4. Store in fridge while you prep puffs.

Assembly & Decoration:

1. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut tops off cooled puffs. Set choux hats aside.
2. If desired, crumble halva into the bottom of your choux.
3. Retrieve chocolate sesame crème légère from fridge. Pipe up to (or a smidge above) the brim of your sliced puff.
4. Retrieve vanilla whipped cream from fridge. Pipe on top of crème légère. Place choux hat on top of whipped cream.
5. Pipe small whipped cream stars on top of choux hats. Top with wee pieces of halva or sesame seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy impressing your pals with your homemade cream puffs!