Revolutionize Japanese Treats: Creamy Mochi Ice Cream Balls

Rice Cake Revolution: A Twist on Traditional Japanese Treats

A New Spin on an Old Favorite

Sweet rice cakes filled with red bean paste are a beloved Japanese New Year’s tradition. But what if you could take that concept and turn it into a creamy, dreamy dessert? That’s exactly what we did, substituting the traditional red bean paste with red bean ice cream and wrapping it in soft, chewy mochi.

Get Creative with Your Fillings

Feel free to experiment with different flavors like green tea or matcha ice cream to give your mochi a unique twist. However, if you’re a purist, red bean paste is the way to go. You can find red bean ice cream at most Japanese markets or specialty food stores, or make your own at home.

The Perfect Scoop

To ensure uniform filling, ditch the tablespoon and use a 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop instead. This will also help you achieve the perfect balance of mochi to ice cream.

Optimize Your Mochi Texture

For the best results, let your ice cream balls sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. This will help the mochi soften slightly, making it easier to bite into.

Game Plan: Making Mochi Ice Cream Balls

Yield: 30 mochi ice cream balls
Difficulty: Hard
Total Time: 35 minutes, plus freezing time
Active Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 packages of 30 (3-inch) Basic Sweet Mochi (An Mochi)
  • 1 pint Red Bean Ice Cream

Instructions

  1. Chill Your Ingredients: Place a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper in the freezer for 15 minutes, and the mochi in the freezer for about 10 minutes, to chill before forming mochi ice cream.
  2. Assemble Your Mochi: Remove 1 sweet mochi circle from the freezer and place 1 tablespoon of the ice cream in the center. Pinch mochi over ice cream to close and immediately place on the baking sheet in the freezer. Repeat with remaining mochi and ice cream.
  3. Freeze and Store: When finished filling all mochi, cover the baking sheet and allow ice cream to firm at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours before serving. Once ice cream is frozen, you can transfer filled mochi to a resealable plastic bag or a plastic container and store in the freezer up to 2 weeks.

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