Cook from the Book: Cornflake Cookies

I didn't take pics of mine--this is from online--but my cookies looked a lot like this.

   

   I recently finished the book Paris, My Sweet, which I loved!  Definitely worth the $6 on Amazon! One thing I loved about it was how the author has lists for the best sweets in Paris and then also in New York.  

  At the top of her list, for the #1 sweet to try in New York, was Momofuku's famous Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookie. She rated it #1 over all of the cupcakes and pies and cakes she has tried as a "sweets columnist"! So--I was very intrigued!

 Since the internet has everything, I found the recipe in several places, like here. I must like torture, because I am not eating sugar right now yet still decided to make a batch of these cookies. I did break down and eat half of one--and then got a headache. Worth it. Luckily, I made them for a girl on bed rest, so they were out of the house quick! Sad for my husband, who could have easily eaten the whole batch!

  If you decide to make them, you first have to buy cornflakes and mix in sugar and butter and then bake them into a "cornflake crunch". I have a feeling that if you just use frosted flakes, you will get the same effect with much less effort.  Also, the recipe calls for making giant cookies--but I think the cookies turned out better when I made them small. The big ones spread too much.

 Despite the fact that I couldn't really eat them due to my bajillion cavities,  they were fun to make and try--but not sure they would be #1 on my list for best treats, although they definitely were a huge hit with everyone who tried them (the girl I gave them to texted me with "Must.Have.Recipe.")  

Guess I'll have to go to New York and see what would be #1 on my list!

Breakfast Cookies!

  I recently found a great recipe for breakfast cookies from Ellie Krieger, who's a healthy cook on the Food Network.  These are so yummy!  I actually take out the sugar and put a tablespoon or two of agave or honey.  The best part about these cookies are that the are really customizable, but the bran flakes are mandatory--they keep the cookie moist.

So yummy and healthy--enjoy!

 Ellie Krieger's Breakfast Cookies

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food (or grated carrots, applesauce, pumpkin, or pear baby food--basically something fruit/veggie based to give it moisture
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped
• Anything else you want to add! I add a little chocolate chips, wheat germ, ground flax, and coconut.

Directions

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute.

Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough.

 Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies.

Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Per cookie (12): Calories: 189; Total Fat: 9.5 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 3 grams; Total carbohydrates: 24 grams; Sugar: 11 grams; Fiber: 2 grams; Cholesterol: 21 milligrams; Sodium: 125 milligrams

Healing Soup

Last week, being cold constantly finally caught up with me, and I caught a cold. On Wednesday, I was so achey with a sore throat. So, I fixed up a bowl of Healing Cabbage Soup, which I made often the last time we lived in Japan. I love this soup, but I never make it in the U.S. because cabbage is so dang expensive! Here, cabbage is super cheap, and it is always stocked in my fridge for so many uses--yakisoba, okonomiyaki, etc.

Anyways, after 2 big bowls of healing soup made late at night, I went to bed. In the morning, I felt 100% better! It really is healing! I made some for our boss, who was getting an eye infection, and the next morning, her eyes were completely cleared up. Maybe it's just the garlic, but this soup is amazing and yummy, too!


Healing Cabbage Soup (adapted from Allrecipes)
3 Tbsp. oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
8 or 9 cups water
4 tsps chicken bouillon (or veggie bouillon)
1 tsp. salt
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 to 1/2 cup rice
1/2 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. sugar
Pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in oil in large pot until softened. Add water and turn heat to high. When boil, dissolve bouillon in water. Turn heat to med-high and add cabbage, carrot, and salt. Cook for 10 mins. Add in rice, tomatoes, and sugar. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes. You may need to add more water and bouillon if the soup is getting too thick. Eat and be healthy!

Any other good recipes for cabbage?

Pancakes!

I am so super happy right now, because I finally have a pancake griddle! I have made pancakes at least three times a week since Cash started finger foods about 2 1/2 years ago. We ate pancakes a ton in Japan, since there was only one kind of cereal on the market (Frosted Flakes at $4.50 a box. No thanks!).

Each time I made pancakes, it took me almost 2 hours, since I had to cook them one at a time on my cast-iron skillet. I did it and loved it, because I love making pancakes for my family. Well, my dear sweet Mother, who was in Utah this weekend, decided to get me an early birthday present of the griddle shown above, and I am so thrilled. Mom, I have already made 3 batches of pancakes in 3 days. I'm that excited! I can't believe I can make a whole batch in 15 minutes.

(Yes, wow--you'd think I would have just paid the $20 for a griddle years ago. But I have a really hard time buying something when I can get away with not having it. I also just bought an umbrella stroller for my daughter, and she is almost 18 months. I used the excuse that I didn't need a stroller, because I have two good arms to carry her..and now wrist pain, too. Ack--money issues here, people!)

Anyways, I wanted to share some of my favorite pancake recipes. I rotate between several recipes, but here are my top 3 right now:

Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes (from the cookbook Veganomicon)
These are great! They have a good crunch and are good for a snack later in the day, too. I often leave the blueberries out and double up on the lemon zest. Yum!

Makes 8-10

3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 1/4 cups plain soy milk
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 cup blueberries

DIrections: Sift dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients separately. Add wet mixture to dry, mixing until just combined. Then, fold in blueberries. Cook in 1/4 cup scoops.

Banana Pancakes
So yummy! Make sure the bananas are pretty ripe to get a good flavor.
Makes about 6

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. oil
2 bananas--1 mashed, 1 sliced into thin rounds

Combine sugar, baking powder, flour and salt. In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk, oil, and bananas. Stir flour into wet mixture. Batter will be lumpy. Heat lightly oiled griddle and scoop 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes (adapted from Mom's famous buttermilk pancakes)
This recipe is just like my mom's famous buttermilk pancakes but with whole wheat flour and one less egg to make it fluffy. We love these pancakes and freeze them in batches to toast for later!

2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 Tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. sugar (optional--we use 2 Tbsp. brown sugar)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Combine eggs, buttermilk, and oil in a bowl and whisk until frothy. Put dry ingredients in sifter (or mix with fork) and add to wet ingredients. Combine with a few strokes. Batter will be lumpy. Place batter onto very hot, well-greased griddle. Flip pancakes when bubbles start to appear on the surface.


If you have any good pancake recipes, I would love to know, so I can keep using my awesome griddle! No pumpkin pancake recipes, though. I have made way too many of those this year, so we're taking a little break from them.

P.S. I just saw the Oatmeal Pancakes recipe on my sidebar from Smitten Kitchen, so I will have to give those a try!

No-Fail, Yummy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Remember my post about being excited about coconut? I still love coconut. Today, I had to make a dessert for a church function, and I decided to make coconut cupcakes--just a simple chocolate cake mix with a yummy, homemade coconut frosting on top. So, I took them to church...and, well, I guess people are just not as into coconut as I am. I have a whole tray of cupcakes sitting here. I guess that's breakfast!

What people are into are these yummy chocolate chip cookies that I make a few times a month. Everyone loves them, so I will share the recipe. These aren't the healthiest, but they are no-fail. And the wheat part makes you feel less guilty!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe from Betty Crocker)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)


1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

 
 

 
 

 



 

Cuckoo for coconut!

We are having a coconut summer! For me, it all started with buying this organic coconut oil:

Coconut oil has become increasingly more popular lately. Coconut oil is thought to be the healthiest natural fat next to mother's milk. Both contain lauric acid, which helps the immune system. Coconut oil is also good for the skin, digestive system, cholesterol levels-- and more.

For me, though, I bought it to use as natural deodorant.
The recipe:
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. baking soda
5 Tbsp. coconut oil

This makes a ton, and it works! I smell so tropical, too!
(Note: keep in a cool place if you don't want liquefied deodorant!)


I also saw these Coconut M & M's and bought a bag (or several):

Not so much for the coconut at first, but because I am a sucker for any limited edition candy, like Hershey's kisses flavors and such. I have to say that I don't really like M&Ms...but these were so so yummy...and cute! They have just a subtle flavor of coconut on the outer shell with chocolate inside.

Finally, this book--I had to check it out after seeing my sister's very non-fad-diet mother-in-law reading this and then rubbing coconut oil all over herself and others:


It is a really interesting book with a lot of scientific evidence supporting the healing properties of the coconut.

So, although I have yet to actually cook with it, there is nothing to fear about the 90% saturated fat content coconut oil. It is 50% lauric acid and also has been shown to reduce heart disease. It is so good for your hair and skin, smells delicious, melts like crazy, and is all natural--so go get your tropic on!!

Vegan Whoopie Pies

It was my turn to make treats for family night on Monday, so I made vegan whoopie pies from BitterSweet.


I followed the recipe but made mint frosting. These were so yummy but gigantic! Next time, I am going to make them a lot smaller...or just make the frosting. It was the best frosting I've ever made--just like Mint Creme Oreos--and there is a ton leftover. What to do? (Apparently, suck it straight out of the icing bag, if you're me).

 The chocolate rush begins. No, he did not eat a whole one--just a bite! It was way too close to bedtime.
 

MSCE: Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been trying to create something cool every day, and it hasn't been working too well. All of my creative attempts, except for cooking, have gone terribly wrong. I have a list of projects that I am working on--and it has just seemed that every time I go to finish a project, something happens--the baby refuses to sleep, I run out of hot glue, the fabric is the wrong size, the pattern is confusing, I pick up a book and can't put it down (Fablehaven this time--so good!). But cooking always works for me. In fact, I have tried a new recipe just about every day this month.

This healthy chocolate chip oatmeal cookie is the best recipe yet! So yummy. There is a lot of cinnamon in here, so it almost tastes like a crumb donut. I'm embarrassed to say how many batches of these cookies I've made this month!

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/4 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. salt (can use 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. quick oats
3/4 c. dark chocolate chips
1/3 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together applesauce, butter, and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into first mixture and mix well. Then stir in oats, followed by the chocolate and coconut. Place rounded tsp-full 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet (I always lightly grease mine, but you don't need to). Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden on bottom. Enjoy!

MSCE: Bunny Cake Pops!

 Happy Easter! I am still attempting to make something cool everyday, but I have been a little frustrated by a few of my projects. Here's a successful one! Bunny Cake Pops! The idea and recipe is from Bakerella. My sis and I had a marathon session making these on Friday night. They were so fun!


 
We used strawberry cake mix and strawberry frosting for the cake part. Then, we dipped them in tinted candy melt coating, flavored with lemon zest. Yum! We discovered that they definitely taste better the next day.

MYO Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit

I have yet to return to America, but I am already obsessed with ways to save money when I get back. This stems from several things:

1.) We will be the poorest we have been in five years of marriage. This is due to working a job in Japan for a year that only allowed enough savings to pay for our return tickets back! And also, my hubby will be a grad student instructor, that lovely occupation that saves universities from hiring costly professors to do the actual teaching.
2.) I spend so much money on groceries here that I am determined to slash my grocery bill by at least half when we get back.
3.) Gas. Period.
4.) Did I mention we are going to be very, very poor?
5.) I have discovered, in trying to get some comfort food in a foreign country, that there are several things that you can make from scratch that are better than store-bought. Tortillas, taco seasoning, and salad dressing, to name a few.

In my discovery of making things from scratch, I have found some really good cleaning recipes. These are floating all over the web, as the "green" movement continues. These recipes have been great, since I can't read the ingredients on the cleaning bottles here (which reminds me of a time that my Chinese roommate tried to clean the oven with engine oil).

So, goodbye, $50 excursions to K-mart to leave with a basket full of perfumey, chemically, toxic cleaning supplies. I'm making my own Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit for under $10 when we get back to the U.S. Check the link for some good recipes or leave a comment with your own!

Black Sesame Cream Puffs

Black sesame seeds and paste are cheap and prevalent here in Japan. The benefits of black sesame are numerous and include increased longevity, antioxidant power, rich in protein, iron, and magnesium, and beautifying to hair and nails. After reading that, you know I hopped on the black-sesame train and bought the seeds and paste. So, in an effort to use my black-sesame products (and possibly justify eating dessert), I made some black sesame cream puffs.
The black sesame paste makes the cream slightly nutty flavored.

Yum!

 
Here is the recipe:
BLACK SESAME CREAM PUFFS
Recipe courtesy of Los Angeles Times, adapted from a recipe by Keiko Nojima of Patisserie Chantilly, Lomita, CA

Serves eight

Pate a choux:
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs, divided
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

Black sesame crème:
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
2-1/2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups milk, scalding
1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut up
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons black sesame paste
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons soy flour

For the pate a choux: Bring milk, 2/3 cup water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter and allow to melt. Remove from heat. Add flour all at once and stir until mixture is completely blended and forms a ball. Return saucepan to the heat and cook, stirring until the mixture does not separate and the pan has a thin film on the bottom, about 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, until blended. (Post tip: Avoid overheating the eggs by beating them all together and then adding a spoonful of the warm mixture, one at a time, to eggs in food processor or mixer.)

To make the puffs, spoon or pipe about 1/4 cup of choux for each puff onto two greased baking sheets. Beat the remaining egg and brush it over the puffs. Combine black and white sesame seeds and sprinkle over top of each puff. Wipe off spilled egg from baking sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the puffs are doubled in size and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Make a small slit on the side of each puff to allow steam to escape.

For the pastry crème: Beat together sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Stir together flour and cornstarch and beat into egg mixture. Slowly beat in hot milk.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring, until boiling and thickened. Boil 1 to 2 minutes; stir constantly.

Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until it’s melted. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a bowl and cover. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Creme puff assembly: In a chilled bowl, beat the whipping cream and sugar until the mixture forms soft peaks. Remove the chilled creme from the refrigerator. Fold in whipped cream, sesame seeds and sesame paste.

Cut the tops off the cooled cream puffs and pipe half the creme sesame mixture into the bottoms of the puffs. Drizzle each with honey, then pipe in remaining creme. Put the tops on the puffs, sprinkle each with soy flour and serve.

 

Daigoku Imo

 
I had the fun experience of going grocery shopping with a Japanese friend of mine recently. I was introduced to a whole new world of groceries, particularly in the form of never-ending aisles of miso and a huge section of dehydrated tofu imprinted with cartoon characters. While I didn't care for some of my new purchases, such as egg custard tofu, I was turned on to trying more veggies. So, I'm going to really make an effort to get more Japanese fruits and veggies into my diet...starting with daigoku imo.
Daigoku means "university" or "top level", so this is the ultimate way to eat sweet potatoes. Japan has several varieties of sweet potatoes, ranging from small thin ones with dry white meat to deep pink ones with dark purple meat. Sachiko showed me how to prepare this sweet potato sensation. While it is deep fried and coated in sugar, it's still a vegetable! Enjoy!

Daigoku Imo:
1.) Scrub sweet potato and cut it diagonally and into thin strips.
2.) On low heat, deep fry slices in oil for 8-10 minutes.
3.) While strips are frying, prepare a simple sugar syrup in a large saucepan with 1/2 c. sugar, 1 Tbsp. water, 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce until syrup-y.
3.) Remove strips from oil and mix into syrup in saucepan until well coated. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds!

Enjoy! This is a delicious dish, and the black sesame seeds are awesome. More on those later, but here is some info on sesame seeds for you:


Natural sesame seeds, those that are unhulled, are high in calcium. One tablespoon provides 87.8 mg while the hulled variety offers only 10.5 mg for that same tablespoon. Comparing sesame seeds to milk turned up some surprising figures in the calcium count. One cup of natural sesame seeds had 1404.0 mg of calcium, while one cup of non-fat milk provided 316.3 mg. and one cup of whole milk contained 291 mg of calcium.

Both natural and hulled sesame seeds contain healthy amounts of the B vitamins riboflavin, thiamine, and niacin. With natural seeds scoring 8.7 mcg of folic acid for 1 tablespoon and plenty of vitamin B6, you can count on sesame seeds for excellent nourishment.

Sesame oil is excellent for reversing the signs of aging and keeping hair lustrous and silky. A Japanese secret!

Eggnog in Cookie Form

My hubby's favorite holiday treat is eggnog. However, that is nowhere to be found in Japan, so he had to settle for eggnog cookies instead. It's amazing what a little nutmeg and rum extract can do for a bah-humbug, missing-eggnog husband!



 
 
EGGNOG COOKIES
2 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. butter butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. rum extract
1 egg
Mix and sift flour, nutmeg; and salt. Cream butter, add sugar, and cream until fluffy. Add extracts and mix. Add egg and mix well. Add sifted ingredients gradually and mix. Chill thoroughly. Allowing 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie; shape into balls, and bake on ungreased cookie sheet, at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool.
RUM FROSTING:
1/4 c. butter (or margarine)
1 tsp. rum extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tbsp. milk
Cream butter, add extracts, and mix. Add sugar, milk and mix. Put frosting on while cookies are slightly warm. Decorate with colored sprinkles for Christmas. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Christmas Cake

Christmas in Japan boils down to one main activity--no not opening presents or celebrating the birth of Jesus. It is all about eating Christmas cake. The tradition used to be that the fathers picked up a Christmas cake on their way home from work on Christmas Eve, but with more mothers in the workplace it is common to find them picking a cake up for their families also. Today, I was at the grocery store, and the line at the cake counter was outrageous!
Here is the cake counter:

A 6" cake like this will usually cost you around $25:

The stores really try to get all of the cakes sold by December 25. On December 26th, the cakes will be heavily discounted since no one wants old cake. In fact, there is an insult to woman not married by age 25 here. These unmarried "older" women are referred to as "day-old Christmas cake".

Here is a recipe to make you very own Japanese Christmas cake! If you get good at it, you could move to Japan and make a fortune!
INGREDIENTS:
For sponge cake:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp butter
For topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 tbsps sugar
Various fruits (strawberries, peaches, cherries, and so on)
PREPARATION:
Whisk eggs in a bowl. Place the bowl over warm water in another large bowl and whisk further. Add sugar little by little. When the egg mixture becomes light yellow, sift flour and add to the bowl. Mix the flour lightly in the egg mixture.

Mix butter in warm milk. Add mixture of melted butter and milk in the batter and stir gently.
Preheat the oven in 350-degree. Place baking wax papers inside of a round cake pan (18cm). Pour the batter in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 min. Remove the cake from the pan and cool it on a rack. Cut the cake in half horizontally.

Mix heavy cream and sugar in a bowl. Whip the cream well. Take the half of the whipped cream and mix with chopped fruits. Place the cream on top of a round cake slice. Place another cake slice on top of the cream. Spread the rest of the whipped cream on top and around the cake.
Decorate the cake with colorful fruits and Christmas decorations.

Mochi Ice Cream Madness!

Before we left for Japan, my aunt and uncle took us out for Japanese food, where I got some mochi ice cream for dessert. Ohhhhh....I fell in love. It is so delicious but hard to come by in the U.S., unless you live near a Trader Joe's or frequent Japanese restaurants. But here, I can get it every day if I want! (Yes, I want. No, I have not.) Mochi ice cream is basically a round blob of ice cream covered with mochi, a pulverized sticky rice paste, and dusted with powdered sugar.

Below is my favorite treat, Yukimi Daifuku (snow-viewing mochi). It's a very light vanilla flavor with the sweetest, softest ice cream inside:




And just in case you want to make your own:

How to Make Mochi Ice Cream
by Melissa Maroff

Introduction:
Mochi Ice Cream, which traces its American origins to Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, is the melding of the traditional Japanese dessert known as mochi (rice cake) and the classic American favorite, ice cream. Although it may sound intimidating—you don’t have to be an "Iron Chef" to whip some up at home—in about 30 minutes.

Things You'll Need:
10 scoops ice cream (flavor of your choice--like vanilla, strawberry, green tea, or chocolate)
1 cup glutinous-rice flour (mochiko--find it at asian stores with a blue star on the box)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar (or splenda)
2 tsp. vanilla
corn flour, for dusting
glass bowl
mixing spoon
plastic wrap
cutting board
airtight container


Step 1: Soften the ice cream, scoop into 10 round balls, and refreeze until hard.

Step 2: Combine glutinous rice flour and water in a glass bowl. Mix well to paste, then add sugar and vanilla, mix until dissolved.

Step 3: Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. It will be half cooked. Remove and stir well while it’s hot.

Step 4: Cover and return to microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well.

Step 5: Place plastic wrap over a cutting board. Dust generously with corn flour (this is a must).

Step 6: Wait for dough to cool. Place onto board and divide into 10 pieces.

Step 7: Flatten dough with your palm. It will be sticky. Wrap each piece of dough around an ice cream ball and refreeze in an airtight container. Serve slightly thawed.