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Ingredients
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Eggs & Filling
Garnish - Puffed Stars (cartoon-like)
Finish & Optional
Method
Eggs & Filling
- 1
Hard-cook the eggs
Place 12 large eggs in a single layer in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover the pan, remove from heat, and let sit 10 minutes. Prepare an ice bath (large bowl with ice and cold water). After 10 minutes, transfer eggs to the ice bath and cool 5 minutes. Drain and dry.
- 2
Peel and halve
Gently crack shells and peel each egg under cool running water to remove membrane. Pat dry with paper towels. Slice eggs lengthwise and remove yolks to a medium bowl, placing whites on a platter.
- 3
Make the filling
Mash yolks with a fork until crumbly. Add 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbs Dijon mustard, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp smoked paprika. Mix until very smooth; for extra-smooth filling, pulse 4–6 times in a small food processor or use an immersion blender. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- 4
Pipe or spoon into whites
Transfer yolk mixture to a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip (or use a plastic bag with the corner snipped). Pipe a neat mound into each egg white cavity. Alternatively, spoon and smooth into each cavity. Wipe any smears from the white edges.
Garnish - Puffed Stars (cartoon-like)
- 5
Make quick star dough
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tbs icing sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Cut in 4 tbs cold cubed butter with a pastry cutter or two forks until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tbs cold water and up to 3 drops yellow food coloring; mix just until a soft dough forms. Do not overwork. Form into a small disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the fridge 15–20 minutes until firm.
- 6
Cut and shape stars
Lightly flour a work surface and roll chilled dough to about 1/16–1/8 inch (very thin). Using a small star cookie cutter (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch), cut out as many stars as possible; you should get ~24–30 small stars. Reroll scraps once if needed, refrigerating briefly if dough becomes too soft.
- 7
Fry to puff
Heat neutral oil in a small saucepan or deep skillet to 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, heat until a small scrap sizzles and rises immediately. Fry stars in batches (do not crowd) 10–20 seconds per side — they should puff slightly and become a pale golden color. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. The thinness causes quick puffing; watch closely to avoid browning. Let cool; they will crisp up stiffly and hold a whimsical slightly cupped star shape.
- 8
Finish & Assembly
- 9
- 10
Garnish and serve
Sprinkle each egg with a light dusting of smoked paprika and a pinch of chopped chives. Add microgreens or parsley around the platter if desired. Serve immediately so puffed stars remain crisp; if made ahead, store stars separately in an airtight container at room temperature and place on eggs just before serving.