THERE IS AN UNUSUAL STURDINESS AND BOUNCINESS TO EACH BITE, AND DEEP NUTTINESS WITH EACH MELTING CHEWS
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Hi Emily,
So, congratulations! Wow, new baby huh? I mean.. just.. WOW! Ayee-um… Mandy, by the way. Here, um, I sort of acted late on that race to the gift-registry and so I swear all I was left to choose with, was this leopard-print breasts-pump and a strange vampire binky… But seriously, I swear, I am not weird. Nor am I some random neighbour who’s trying to crash a party because she saw the sign “there will be cakes” on your lawn on her way to taking out the trash. Really, I was invited. But the truth is, you probably don’t know much about me. And I guess the fact that this being a baby-shower and all, probably one of the top three must-be-perv-free environment there is (among dressing-rooms, toilets and etc…) , I should re-introduce myself a little bit.
My last name is Lee, with my birth-Chinese-name, Huei Lin. When I was 11, in the month before my family immigrated from Taiwan to Canada, I picked out my own English first name, Mandy, from an English Names Guidebook that some idiot gave me. It was probably one of the most regrettable mistake of my life, one that I now have to live with until I die. I’m one of those whom you would call a “dog person” much more than a “people person”. I don’t care who or how many people die in a movie as long as the dog lives, and which-ever movie violates that rule, sucks. I Am Legend, sucks. But having said that, if you actually knew me, I’m a good friend. An overbearingly judgemental friend you might add, but that’s only because I think I care. My favourite things in life are puppies’ tummies, eating, travelling for eating, eating with friends, last but not least, good conversations over eating. I think whoever asks the question “what’s your favourite food?”, hates eating. I don’t have a favourite food, because there’s too many that it can only be defined by categories. Categories such as, carbohydrates, and proteins. Vegetables… I don’t wanna talk about it.
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But perhaps, the most important food-category of all that defines my entire existence, that trumps all other subordinate pleasures in life except for maybe rubbing a puppy’s tummy, so much so that I may not be able to friend you if you disagree… is anything and everything that could be described with the word – chewy. Chewy is my Holy Grail on my culinary treasure-hunt, my kitchen baby unicorn, my ambassador of quan. Chewy, completes me (and no, Jerry Maguire, doesn’t suck). I want it in my bread, my brownies, my donuts, my cookies, I want it in places that it doesn’t even belong, and yes yes yes, even in my ice creams. So I guess it’s only appropriate, since we’re on a roll of getting to know each other and all, that I introduce you to this closeted kink of mine – my black sesame mochi ice cream.
It’s not entirely mochi. It’s not really ice cream, either. This black sesame-blended mixture is thickened with just enough sticky rice flour, in order to land on that sweet spot where it’s too loose to be called mochi at room-temperature, but hardens just right when it is frozen. It has an incredible resistance to melting, an unusually sturdiness and bounciness to each bite, and a deep and rich nuttiness that fills the palette with each melting chews. It is almost unlikely to find a peer for comparison… Think of the densest, zero-air/ice-molecule ice cream you’ve ever had – this is way beyond that. Think of Turkish ice cream – well now you’re getting close. It’s the same kind of stretchy and springy texture that make this recipe impossible for a typical ice cream-churner, and hence, must be done by working your post-baby biceps. I mean is it too considerate on my part that I even calculated in a terrific solution for that last pound of baby-weight you’re physically but not emotionally attached to? I told you, I’m a good friend.
So hello Emily. Congratulations again. You won’t be able to return that leopard-print breasts-pump because my dog ate the receipt, but this black sesame mochi ice cream, will more than making up for it.
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CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE PARTY!
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(UPDATE 2014/05/004: Rubber spatula won’t work. It has to be a thin plastic spatula, otherwise just use a spoon + butter knife.)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (47 grams) black sesame seeds
- 2 cups (490 grams) whole milk
- 1 cup (300 grams) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (120 grams) sticky rice flour
Instructions
- In a flat skillet over medium heat, toast the black sesame seeds while stirring constantly, for about 3~4 min. The seeds will start to make popping sounds, and are ready when you can crush it easily between your fingers and it smells nutty. Transfer to a blender immediately before burning, then add whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and sticky rice flour. Blend for 2~3 minutes until the mixture is pureed as smoothly as possible.
- Transfer the mixture to a pot and set over medium-low heat. Cook while stirring constantly for about 4 min, as the mixture thickens and becomes springy (it may appear to be slightly lumpy during cooking). Large bubbles will start to break through the surface, and it should look smooth and slightly shiny, and lava-like. Let cool slightly, then chill in the fridge uncovered for 3~4 hours, stirring a couple times in between until completely cooled.
- Transfer the mixture into a pre-frozen ice-cream bucket (without the churner). With a stiff spatula (UPDATE 2014/05/004: Rubber spatula won’t work. It has to be a thin plastic spatula, otherwise just use a spoon + butter knife.), keep scraping the side of the bucket and folding the mixture over itself. Don’t worry if the sides are freezing much faster than the center. Just keep “kneading” the ice-cream until the whole thing becomes very chewy and thick. As the mochi ice-cream hardens, it will less and less stick to the side of the bucket, but will get harder and harder to fold. You can switch to a wooden pestle at this point if it gets too hard for the spatula. Once you feel like the bucket is loosing it’s coldness (about 20 min), and that the mochi ice-cream has become almost impossible to fold, transfer it back to the freezer for another 30 min ~ 1 hour to harden.
- I would recommend serving the mochi ice-cream immediately after it’s made. If you want to keep it frozen in a container, leave it out at room-temperature for 15 min to soften before eating.
Notes
This ice cream is too thick to be churned by a machine. Must be done manually.
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58 responses to “BLACK SESAME MOCHI ICE CREAM FOR EM’S BB-SHOWER”
I love this ice cream SO much!!! That color is crazy and I bet it tastes amazing.
omg. you. are. brilliant.
Hmmmm. A handful ingredients with a great outcome – just the right recipe for me ;-)
And: I like grey tones!!
Whoa. This looks and sounds amazing. You are such a creative genius in the kitchen — I’m in awe that you even came up with the idea for chewy mochi ice cream let alone made it happen!
This is ingenious! A Mochi ice cream that is creamy AND chewy?? Brilliant!! I have never made ice cream like this, and now I’m itching to try it out!
Chewy ice cream — can’t even imagine what this tastes like but I can’t wait to try it. Love the black ice cream.
Oh Mandy….you came and you gave without taking…..
Mandy. I saw this and nearly CRIED. This is beautiful and everything I want, good lord. Can I get married to an ice cream??!?
I am mesmerized by this black ice cream!
This is SO. COOL. Mandy!! Oh my goodness, you never cease to amaze me — this is just too ingenious. So amazing.
Congrats to be one of the Saveur finalists!! Your photography is indeed stunning ;-)
Mandy, I also had the same experience picking out my English name. As a 7 year old, I thought that the Chinese phonetic translation for Jenny was super pretty. Of course no one would be calling me by that, but what did I know. Man, what a missed opportunity! How many people get to pick out their own names? Why didn’t I go with something more exotic? Oh well, we will just have to be the most amazing Mandys and Jennys around.
I’m confused now… why do you guys need an English name? I’m Italian, and I wouldn’t have to change my name to live in America… I would remain good ol’ Teresa… But it’s not compulsory, I hope…
Chinese names are difficult for westerners to pronounce. It is definitely not required, but many Asians pick out English names when they move to English speaking countries.
yes, I know that they’re difficult! It was really hard at the beginning to remember my Korean friend’s name, but with a little effort, after 1-2 weeks I got it! Don’t you feel uncomfortable to pick another name? I mean… my name is connected to my identity… I know that “that which we call a rose
by any other name would smell as sweet”, but still…
Anyway, every day you can learn something new! I didn’t know this before :-)
@Dulcistella – If I had a name sure to be consistently and frequently butchered in the country I was living in long-term, I’d definitely come up with a new one to use as well! For example, my first name is problematic in a few languages (it causes a lot of confusion in Korean, and is nearly impossible to pronounce in other languages – this can be difficult for English speakers to understand since it’s a simple name here, but every language is different!) Although some people’s identity is attached to their first name, it’s less important to others (and to some, not at all important – in many cultures names matter very little, and identity is tied to other factors, like gender, religion, occupation, etc).
Hahahaa yeah it’s mainly for easy pronunciation purposes. Like if you didn’t want to correct people the way they pronounce, for example “huei lin” all the time, it’s just easier to have an English name.
Mandy, you’re a culinary genius. GENIUS, I tell you.
I think whoever asks the question “what’s your favourite food?”, hates eating…YES!! This mochi ice cream is tops and so you are you — congrats on your Sav nom. I’ll see you NYC!! Thanks for celebrating Emily today, xo!
I’m not even sure what to say. I think this is the closest to seeing a unicorn in the wild for me.
Yep, I’ll second that!
black sesame ice cream is one of my faves. and the mochi mochi texture…YES please!!!
how cute is your lil introduction too?!?!
and….congrats on the saveur nod!!! i love love love your photography – well deserved!
Mochi, mochi ice cream?? in one of the best flavours? I can not find another recipe for such a unique ice cream, Mandy love what you do!
I’m visiting Japan right now and as much as I’ve enjoyed the sushi, soups and other dishes like the amazing okonomiaky I ate on Miagyma, the deserts here are not my thing. The ice creams are great but the rest are keeping me on my diet. I just can’t handle the weird texture of the Mochi. And don’t get me started on the red bean
I know who you are, MandyPants! And my bet is you’re someone who immediately wants to sucker punch anyone that calls you MandyPants! So let’s start over: CHEWY ice cream? I am beyond intrigued — and flattered! — that a concoction of this genius is dedicated even in a small way to me and this little behbeh. Pretty much anything involving black sesame and/or rice flour gets my very enthusiastic seal of approval, so I’m all sorts of excited. And, hello — CONGRATS on the Saveur nom! So well-deserved! :)
The only things better than a hearty scoop of this mochi ice cream is eating this ice cream while rubbing a puppy’s tummy. And the color. . .so seductive (just like that leopard breast pump. . .oh no she didn’t! :-) )
You’ve gotta market this! Surely it would be a smash hit ? Never seen anything like it outside of Turkey. There are those ice cream filled mochi balls but this is from another planet!
Wow! A combination of my two favorite desserts in my favorite flavor..it’s like a dream come true! I can’t wait to try it this weekend! Quick question – I don’t have an ice cream bucket.. can I just use a pre-frozen metal bowl? Or do you have any other suggestion as to what else I can use to “knead” the ice cream? Also, would it be too flimsy to use a rice paddle for my kneading tool? Thanks! :)
Shuinn, I’m afraid you won’t be able to use a frozen metal bucket, because it will simply defrost way before the ice cream is done. In terms of kneading, you can really use anything that you find handy. A dinner spoon to scrape and a wooden spoon to fold it?
I could not stop laughing. I just couldn’t.
cue crazy laughing emoji
Wow now that is one cool ice cream flavor! I’d love to try some of this, if just to show off how I’m eating black ice cream :D
I don’t have an ice cream bucket, would a regular plastic ice cream container do? Or do I have to use the ovenproof, microwave proof bowl? Or maybe the Magic Pot…
Yes, yes, yes to all of it! “I am Legend” does suck! Why would anyone ever kill the dog and ruin an awesome movie (and book, which I will never read because reading about the death of a dog is even worse for me). And dog people do make incredible friends! And yes, there is no way someone who truly loves food could have a favorite one! And, especially, YES to this recipe! You are awesome!
First of all, I love black sesame ice cream. Secondly, I love mochi. You’ve pretty much created to the most amazing ice cream ever made. Amaze.
This is simply stunning. Also, never saw “I am Legend” and now I feel vindicated as to that decision. Thanks :) Lovely to ‘meet’ you via this sweet little shower. I’m 100% obsessed with this post!
yum this looks so terribly good!! do i need an ice cream bucket?
Lee, I’m afraid so. I never tried putting it straight to the freezer… don’t know how that will turn out…
Oh my, that looks so delectable!!! And the ingredients are very simple, but seems to be a great result. I would love to make this
I just cooked up the base and am leaving it to cool now before transferring to the freezer. It tastes amazing even without freezing. What a genius recipe! I never toasted black sesame before, so when I tried it untoasted from the packaging I was like “meh, hopefully it’ll transform in the pan” and it thankfully did lol
I was so excited to try this recipe, but so far it has been an epic FAIL. I’m fairly adept in the kitchen, but the consistency after cooling was like brand new silly putty. As soon as I put it in the ice cream bowl, it stuck to the sides, and with the stiffest spatula, was unable to budge. I poured what I could into a tupperware and will have to just eat it as is, but it has been a sticky, messy mess. The flavor is okay, but definitely NOTworth the mess or stress. You have a lot of fans, so I’m sure it worked well for you. Me, not so much!
Amanda, sorry it didn’t work out for you :( The mixture after it’s cooled, is a “brand new silly putty”… blobby and yucky, and not appetizing at all. Even I can’t imagine eating it like that. Then yes, the mixture will stick to the side of the bowl, and it does take a bit of effort to “fold/churn” it by hand, just like Turkish ice cream. My spatula was a plastic one, not rubber one (which won’t work). I should have mentioned that in the recipe. OH well, meanwhile, you’ll always have regular ice cream to go back to.
Woah, I am very scared by the hand-making icecream process.
BUt this is such a GREAT concept!
@Mandy:
Could we just pour the mix and freeze it as ice pops? >.> Wonder how it would be like without the folding process at the end.
Lolo, you could certainly try it, pouring the mixture after it’s cooked into popsicle molds (it will be kinda thick). Let me know if you ever try and if it work!!
Mandy!
Look what I found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlEPXH9nZe8
Its just the making of normal sesame icecream, but the second method she introduced to replace churring step with shaking freezer bag looks interesting.
Not sure if it would work with sticky mochi as well. umm
Best L.
Mandy – is there an ice cream bucket you recommend? Thanks!
Tao Tao, mine is a shitty Chinese brand, so I suspect that anything will do :)
there is no industrial demand for copper at the moment. infact there is no demand for any recyclable metal ..last year steel was bringing a couple hundred dollars a ton, copper over 4 dollars a lb and alum 2 dollars a lb..this year scrap steel is 12 dollars a ton…alum. 20 cents a lb…id not invest in industrial metals for a while..id wait untill just before a war starts or manufacturing begins again..
Jane’s right. Honestly, the most nutrient the poor people of the world are missing the most is protein. Without protein the body can not grow, nor will it have energy. When the body tires easily, the brain does not function well.If the UN wants to promote an agricultural product, they ought to think more along the lines of soy, nuts, and avocadoes.
oh Wow, Wow Wow Wow Wowthis is wonderful, i am so happy for you!!!and please, CONTINUE POSTING "puppy posts" cos' i think nobody here is bored…
An additional issue is really that video gaming has become one of the all-time most important forms of entertainment for people of various age groups. Kids play video games, and also adults do, too. Your XBox 360 has become the favorite video games systems for people who love to have hundreds of activities available to them, as well as who like to experiment with live with people all over the world. Many thanks for sharing your ideas.
So I’ve made this before with another friend of mine and it was super successful. This time though, everything went fine up until the cooking of the mixture in the pot, and rather than becoming smooth and glossy, it didn’t thicken at all until about 6-8 minutes in on medium low heat and went straight to being super lumpy and thick like oatmeal. I took it off the stove and I’m going to keep going on with the rest of the recipe to see how it turns out, but I’m not sure what I did wrong. I would totally appreciate it if you gave me some advice!
Sandra, gee I have no idea.. I was once in a similar situation where I just couldn’t figure out why a recipe all of a sudden stopped working, and then I realized I have stored the wrong flour in the wrong container. It’s a long shot but it wouldn’t hurt to use a new bag of sticky rice flour and try again?
I know you say a machine cannot handle this mixture, but is there any chance a stand mixer with ice cream maker attachment might? I’m just not sure I have that kind of elbow grease in me.
Cat, so sorry about the late reply!! Somehow this comment got slipped away. I don’t have an ice cream maker for my mixer so I can’t say! Maybe you can try it in the beginning when the mixture is still relatively soft, then if it gets too much for the machine, switch to hands at the end?
I made this today! For reference I measured by volume, used Flying Horse brand glutinous rice flour, and used an electric stove. I also didn’t have an ice cream maker, so I froze the metal bowl from a stand mixer overnight and, when it came time to knead, put it in a large bowl filled with salted ice water to try to keep it cold as long as possible.
Process notes:
– It took me a couple minutes longer than specified to toast the seeds, but I went by smell and the popping.
– Heating and thickening the mixture took much longer than the recipe said. I think this might be because I have an electric stove and because I really did stir constantly, which cooled the liquid. Eventually I turned the heat to medium and let it sit occasionally. I didn’t let too many bubbles form and could have heated it longer. Mine was a bit lumpy at this point, but glossy.
– It didn’t need 3 hours in the fridge (I think it was cool after an hour).
– This is probably because I didn’t have the ice cream maker barrel, but I didn’t really see the mixture freezing or becoming significantly less sticky as I kneaded. It did become stiffer and I got a good 15 minute arm workout!
– I tried both a wooden spoon (okay) and a plastic spatula (really good).
– I never got it to form a nice continuous ball. It was still a scrape and spread situation.
– Back in the freezer, it is taking many hours (4+) for the whole container to freeze solid.
I’ve been trying the ice cream for flavor throughout its time in the freezer. From what I’ve tasted, you *do* want it once it’s frozen and not just cold-sticky-sesame-mochi-goop. The frozen parts are not rock solid (at least not yet) and they achieve a perfect hybrid between creamy ice cream and chewy mochi. If you get it partially frozen, it’s not as special.
The color is true to the picture, which is the result of a very strong, nutty sesame flavor. I do like sesame, but if I made this again, I’d reduce the amount of sesame seeds. I’m also curious to try other flavors like peanut or chocolate or even vanilla.
Madeleine, thanks for the super detailed feedback!!! I think the only thing I want to add is that frozen mixer-bowl will definitely not be able to freeze the mixture hard enough. But I’m glad you found a way to do it in the freezer. This mochi ice cream is one of those things that is best enjoyed right after the “churning”. But I used to let it thaw a bit after freezing hard, and it was pretty good as well :)
I was skeptical about this recipe but it sounded too unique to pass up. I have nothing but praise for how delicious and unique this ice cream was. Thank you for sharing this recipe online and I am glad I took the time to make it!
Hello Mandy, I’m too thrilled to find your blog and recipes bcs I’m a big fan of chewy stuff (as a Taiwanese yeah), Sichuan pepper and anything spicy! It’s like 相見恨晚！
I just tried this mochi ice cream today and it blew my mind. I was a bit skeptical caus it took sometime for the mix to be lava-like. Then it took longer than I expect for the ice cream to shape in the freezer. Anyway, it turned out a huge success!! Thank you so much!! Think I’ll try the same recipe with peanuts or macha.