Description
Mochi Ice Cream is a delightful Japanese dessert combining chewy, glutinous rice dough with creamy ice cream centers. This recipe guides you through making soft mochi dough, wrapping it around ice cream balls, and freezing for a refreshing treat that’s perfect for warm days or anytime you crave a unique sweet bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Mochi Dough
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 cup water
- Food coloring (optional, to change the color of the dough)
Dusting
- Cornstarch or potato starch (for dusting and rolling)
Filling
- Ice cream (your favorite kind)
Instructions
- Freeze ice cream balls: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Quickly use a small ice cream scoop to form tightly packed ice cream balls with flat edges so they sit steadily on the pan. Freeze these on the lined pan for 1 hour to solidify.
- Make mochi dough: In a microwave-safe bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, sugar, and powdered sugar. Stir in water until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute. Wet your spatula to prevent sticking and fold the dough repeatedly. Microwave again for 1 minute, fold again, then microwave for 30 seconds more. If the dough isn’t shiny yet, microwave for an additional 30 seconds until slightly shiny and cohesive.
- Prepare rolling surface: Place a piece of parchment paper on your counter and dust it generously with cornstarch. Scrape the hot mochi dough onto the parchment, being careful not to touch it directly.
- Roll out the dough: Dust the dough ball with cornstarch and roll it out with a rolling pin to a ¼ inch thickness into a large rectangle. Add more cornstarch on top as needed to prevent sticking. Place the rolled dough with parchment onto a sheet pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Prepare plastic wrap: Cut large squares of plastic wrap, one for each ice cream ball. These will be used to wrap the mochi ice cream before freezing.
- Cut and fill the dough: Take the dough from the refrigerator and use a 3-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter to cut circles. Use a dry pastry brush to gently remove excess cornstarch from the dough circles. Work with one ice cream scoop at a time, keeping the others frozen. Place an ice cream ball in the center of each dough circle, gently pressing and pinching the edges securely around the ice cream to seal. Wrap each mochi tightly in the plastic wrap by bringing corners to the center and twisting at the top.
- Freeze mochi: Place the wrapped mochi ice cream on a tray twisted side down. Repeat with the remaining dough and ice cream. Freeze the mochi for at least 1 hour before serving. Store wrapped mochi in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Allow dough to slightly thaw for easier eating.
Notes
- Keep the remaining ice cream frozen while assembling to prevent melting.
- Use cornstarch or potato starch generously to prevent sticking, but brush off excess before wrapping mochi around ice cream.
- Be cautious when handling hot mochi dough after microwaving; it can burn your fingers.
- You can flavor or color the mochi dough by adding food coloring during mixing.
- If mochi dough isn’t shiny after microwaving, continue heating in 30-second increments.
- Allow mochi ice cream to slightly thaw before eating for the best texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes microwave
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Microwaving
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Mochi Ice Cream, Japanese Dessert, Glutinous Rice Dough, Frozen Treat, No Bake Ice Cream Dessert
