The other day I was asked if one of my sweet Mochi recipes can be used to make Mochi Ice Cream. Soft Sweet Mochi that is called ‘Gyūhi’ (求肥) in Japanese stays soft when cold, but I didn’t know if it stays soft when frozen. It became another project for me to work on. I made these Mochi Ice Cream using the exactly same Sweet Mochi, but today I used commonly available Glutinous Rice Flour because I couldn’t find ‘Shiratamako’ (Japanese Glutinous Rice Flour).

We can find many different Mochi Ice Cream recipes on the internet and some recipes require special ingredients such as Glucose Syrup and Oil. But I am happy with the very basic Soft Sweet Mochi. It’s certainly suitable for Mochi Ice Cream. It hardens when completely frozen just like real Ice Cream, but it softens very quickly just like real Ice Cream. It was such a fun to make Mochi Ice Cream at home.

If you serve Mochi Ice Cream to your guests as a dessert, it might be a good idea to serve Mochi and Ice Cream (scooped and frozen hard) separately, then guests can wrap it by themselves. That’s easy to prepare for you and great fun for guests.

Makes

6 Pieces *5.5cm Ice Cream Scoop used

Ingredients

100g Glutinous Rice Flour OR ‘Shiratamako’ (Japanese Glutinous Rice Flour)

200ml Warm Water
100g Caster Sugar *Do not reduce significantly. Mochi can’t stay soft without Sugar.
1 pinch Salt
Potato Starch Flour
Ice Cream of your choice

Method
  1. Line a small tray or plate with baking paper or plastic food wrap. Place 6 scoops of Ice Cream and leave in the freezer until frozen hard.
  2. Spread plenty of Potato Starch on a chopping board (OR a tray), on which you will place cooked Mochi later. You would need extra Potato Starch.
  3. To make sweet Mochi, place Glutinous Rice Flour OR ‘Shiratamako’ in a heat-proof mixing bowl, gradually add Warm Water, mixing well. Add Sugar and Salt, and mix well until smooth.
  4. Cover and heat in the microwave for 40 seconds, take out and stir with a spatular, then heat 1-2 minutes or until cooked. *Note: When the colour becomes slightly translucent (not white), it is cooked.
  5. *Note: I used 1100W microwave. Depending on the power, alter the cooking time. You can steam the mixture in a large heat-proof bowl for 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Clean the spatular with warm water, and use the wet spatular to stir the mixture very well. *Note: As the mixture is very sticky, wet the spatular with warm water frequently.
  7. Using the wet spatular, take the thick and sticky ‘Mochi’ onto the prepared board. Sprinkle extra Potato Starch over the Mochi as well. Use a rolling pin to flatten and roll it out to a large oblong about 5mm thick. Allow to cool.


  8. Cut out 6 of 11cm rounds. (I used 5.5cm Ice Cream Scoop. Mochi should be twice the size of Ice Cream.) *Note: Mochi can be cut out into square or any shape, but round is the easiest to wrap Ice Cream. Use Potato Starch to stop the knife getting sticky.
  9. Remove excess Potato Starch from Mochi and wrap with plastic food wrap, and cool in the fridge.
  10. Wrap Ice Cream with cooled Mochi. I recommend to work on a flat surface. Place Ice Cream on Mochi, pull the edges up, pinch the edges and close. *Note: Use Potato Starch to stop your fingers getting sticky.


  11. *Note: Work in a cool environment. Work one piece at a time. Finish one and place it in the freezer, then work another one.
  12. *Note: To soften completely frozen Mochi Ice Cream, transfer from the freezer to the fridge 20 minutes before serving, OR leave them at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  13. *Note: If you serve Mochi Ice Cream to your guests as a dessert, it might be a good idea to serve Mochi and Ice Cream (scooped and frozen hard) separately, then guests can wrap it by themselves. That’s easy to prepare for you and great fun for guests.
  14. *Note: Scraps can be enjoyed as they are, or with Tsubu-an (Sweet Azuki Paste), Muscovado Syrup, Kinako (Ground Roasted Soy Beans), etc.