Pumpkin Mochi in Ghost / Pumpkin Shape

In this delightful recipe, we’re going to make some super cute Japanese style pumpkin mochi in pumpkin🎃 and ghost 👻 shapes.

Picture soft, pillowy mochi skins hugging a luscious pumpkin puree filling, each one transformed into a charming pumpkin or an adorable ghost, where traditional Japanese confectionery meets Halloween whimsy.

Now let’s get ready to infuse your kitchen with the cozy aroma of pumpkin and the laughter that comes from crafting these delightful, spooky delights!

Important tips for avoiding sticky mochi dough

The most frequently asked question by people trying to make mochi is, “Why is my mochi dough so sticky?“

Mochi dough is sticky. Handling it can be a bit challenging, but with the right techniques, you can achieve the perfect texture. Here are some important tips for avoiding sticky mochi dough:

1. Fully cook the dough: Undercooked mochi dough tends to be excessively sticky. Since microwaves vary in power, after microwaving the dough for 3 minutes, insert a toothpick into the center. If it emerges with sticky residue, return the dough to the microwave in 30-second intervals until the toothpick comes out clean.

2. Freezing Method: Warm mochi dough can be very sticky. Cold mochi is much easier to handle. So it’s important to chill the mochi dough in the freezer for about 30 minutes to reduce stickiness.

3. Wear vinyl gloves: Vinyl gloves can create a barrier, preventing the dough from clinging to your skin and making it easier to handle. And mochi dough is more manageable when it’s cooler. Wearing gloves prevents the transfer of body heat to the dough, helping to reduce stickiness.

4. Grease your hands with oil: Put the vinyl gloves on, then lightly grease your hands with the melted butter on the surface of the dough before handling the mochi dough. This creates a barrier between your skin and the sticky dough.

5. Dust the surfaces with glutinous rice flour: Brush the surface of each mochi skin and the mochi mold with a thin layer of glutinous rice flour or corn starch to prevent stickiness.

EQUIPMENT

• Piping bag and piping tip (Optional)
• Blender (For blending the pumpkin puree)
• Kitchen scale (I will also list measurements in measuring cups, but using a kitchen scale is highly recommended.)
• Microwave-safe container
• Microwave
• Microwave-safe plastic food wrap
• Bamboo toothpick
• Hand mixer (For whipping heavy whipping cream.)
• Rolling Pin
• Mochi mold
• Silicone Pastry Mat
• Vinyl gloves (Highly recommended for preventing stickiness.)

INGREDIENTS  

For the orange-color mochi skin

• 100 g milk (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp; I used whole milk. You can use any type of milk or plant based milk.)
• 100 g pumpkin puree (⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp; I used canned pumpkin puree)
• 45 g granulated sugar (3 tbsps)
• 100 g glutinous rice flour (¾ cups +1½ tbsps)
• 30 g cornstarch (4 tbsps)
• 20 g unsalted butter (1½ tbsps)

For the white-color mochi skin

• 170 g milk (½ cup + 3 tbsp)
• 45 g granulated sugar (3 tbsps)
• 100 g glutinous rice flour (¾ cups +1½ tbsps)
• 30 g cornstarch (4 tbsps)
• 20 g unsalted butter (1½ tbsps)

Gelatin whipped cream

• 400 g heavy whipping cream (1+⅔ cups)
• 4 g unflavored gelatin powder (1 + ⅓ tsps)
• 13 g water (1 tbsp + 1 tsp)
• 40 g powdered sugar (5 tbsps)
• 4 g vanilla extract (1 tsp)

Others

• 10 tbsps pumpkin puree (To be used as filling. Add sugar and cinnamon powder to your taste before using. Feel free to substitute it with other fillings of your choice, such as mango chucks, red bean paste, or crushed Oreo.)
• 1 dark chocolate disc (For drawing eyes and mouth)
• 1 drop orange and green food coloring – optional (For making the pumpkin stems.)

INSTRUCTIONS 

– To make gelatin whipped cream

1. Make a stable whipped cream that won’t melt by following the steps outlined in this gelatin whipped cream recipe. Ensure you use the ingredient list (400g heavy whipping cream …) from the current pumpkin mochi recipe. Once prepared, transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag and refrigerate it for later use.

– To make pumpkin mochi skin

1. Add milk and pumpkin puree in a blender and blend on medium speed for 1 minute until fully mixed. Weigh out 190g of the mixture and transfer into a microwave-safe container. If the mixture is less than 190g, add milk to reach the desired weight.

2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and glutinous rice flour with the prepared pumpkin milk mixture. Stir thoroughly with a whisk until the mixture becomes smooth. You can choose to add a drop of orange food coloring to enhance the color. Optionally, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps. 

3. In another microwave-safe container, combine milk, sugar, cornstarch, and glutinous rice flour to make a white batter. Stir thoroughly with a whisk until the mixture becomes smooth.

4. Cover both containers with microwave-safe food wrap, use a toothpick to poke about 12 holes on each food wrap. 

5. Put both mixtures together in the microwave, heat at 100% power for 4 minutes, ensuring they are fully cooked. To check, insert a toothpick into the center of the mochi dough; if it comes out clean, the dough is done. If your microwave is not spacious enough, you can microwave them separately for 3 minutes each at 100% power.

6. Carefully take the bowl out from the microwave. Remove the food wrap, put a piece of butter on the top of each mochi dough. Roughly mix the butter and the dough with a nonstick spatula, until all the butter has been absorbed into the dough. (Be cautious as the dough is very sticky when hot, so avoid touching it with your hands.)

7. Cover the containers with plastic wrap and place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes until it is thoroughly cooled. After cooled, the dough will become less sticky.

8. Take the cooled dough out from the freezer. Wear a pair of vinyl gloves to prevent stickiness, knead each dough by pulling and folding it for about 5 minutes, until you can stretch it to a length of 10 inches.

9. Divide each dough into 6 equal portions. Take one portion of the white dough and divide it into ¼ and ¾, use green food coloring to dye the ¼ portion into green.

10. Shape each portion of the dough into small balls. Cover a rolling pin with plastic food wrap to prevent sticking. On a nonstick silicone mat, use the rolling pin to 5 of the white balls and 5 of the orange balls into a 5-inch diameter circles. Use a brush to apply a thin layer of glutinous rice flour to the top side of each circle.

– To assemble the pumpkin mochi

1. Place the mochi skin onto a spherical mold with the powered side facing down. Pipe the prepared whipped cream, add a dollop of pumpkin puree (or your preferred filling), and top it with more whipped cream. Bring the edges of the wrap together to enclose the filling, then firmly seal the edges. Place a layer of plastic wrap on a serving plate to prevent sticking, and carefully flip the pumpkin mochi onto the plate so that the smooth side is facing up.

2. To make pumpkin-shaped mochi: use the back of a small knife to press 3 to 4 crossing lines on the top side of the mochi dough to mimic the pumpkin’s pattern. Use the green dough to make a stem for each pumpkin mochi.

3. To make ghost-shaped mochi: Use a toothpick to dip into melted chocolate and draw eyes and a mouth on each white mochi. Take the reserved white dough and make 10 pea-size balls. Dampen each ball slightly with water and carefully attach 2 balls to each white mochi, creating the appearance of hands.

Take the reserved orange dough and shape it into 5 balls, each with a 1-inch diameter. Use the back of a small knife to create 3 crossing lines on the top side of the mochi dough, mimicking the pattern of a pumpkin. Use the green dough to form a stem for each mini pumpkin. Dampen the bottom of a mini pumpkin slightly with water and carefully attach it to the top of a white mochi, resembling a pumpkin hat.

4. Serve immediately. Store leftover pumpkin mochi in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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