Japanese Recipe: Pumpkin Chi-chi Dango

Fall is that time of year when the weather cools down, the leaves turn vibrant colors, and stores try to come up with inventive ways to market pumpkin in all its glory.

So far this year I’ve only seen pumpkin cappuccino, pumpkin coffee creamer (this stuff is not good), pumpkin bark, the obligatory pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins, and a few other unremarkable pumpkin flavored offerings. Boring and underwhelming. What gives this year?

Once again I must trek to the kitchen to appease my inner pumpkin demon who howls for this seasonal treat to be delivered in a fresh, new way.

Well, silence Pumpkin Demon! I call forth my culinary powers to create Pumpkin Chichi Dango!

Chichi dango is a soft mochi treat traditionally made with coconut milk and baked to a gooey consistency in the oven. I substituted pumpkin and evaporated milk for the coconut milk to make a pumpkin pie flavored dango. It’s easier to make than pumpkin daifuku and has a slightly different consistency than other mochi based wagashi. It’s also a gluten free way to enjoy a seasonal dessert without a lot of the fat!

ingredients

• 1 16 ounce box of mochiko
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. each of cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. each ginger and allspice
• 1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cups evaporated milk
• 1 1/4 cups water
• orange food coloring, optional
• Additional boiling water for water bath

directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan.
2.) Sift together mochiko, baking powder, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice. Set aside.
3.) Process together brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, water and food coloring (if using) on high in a food processor or blender for 15 seconds. Stop and scrape sides. Blend additional 15 seconds. *Note- Processing in this manner helps break down the fiber in the pumpkin and gives the puree a smoother texture.
4.) Blend pumpkin mixture with mochiko mixture by hand till completely combined.
5.) Pour mochiko/ pumpkin mixture into pre-greased pan. Very tightly cover pan with aluminum foil, making sure there are no gaps to let air in.
6.) Place pan in another pan (I used a cookie sheet which had steep sides). Place doubled pans in oven and add boiling water till roasting pan or cookie sheet is full.
7.) Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool chichi dango completely.
8.) To cut: Either cut directly in pan with a plastic knife or flip dango onto a potato starch dusted cutting surface and cut with plastic knife. Lightly dust each piece of chichi dango with potato starch. Store in an airtight container in fridge up to eight days (freeze after eight days).

*Note: After about three- four days in the fridge, the dango will harden up slightly; thats normal. Microwave the dango for about five-eight seconds to soften it up, or broil it a few seconds in the oven to toast it.

Pumpkin chichi dango is easier to make than other mochi desserts and tastes just like pumpkin pie. On a side not, it’s interesting that this stuff is called “chichi” (type in chichi). After making and tasting this dessert, which definition of chichi do you think is most applicable? (I’m going with the one at the bottom, first word.)

I liked pumpkin chichi dango because:

• It tasted like pumpkin pie but felt only slightly guilt-inducing
• It was easy to make
• It has great texture.

My only complaint about pumpkin chichi dango is:

• It may be difficult to get a hold of the mochiko for some people.

Make pumpkin chichi dango this fall season and enjoy this new Japanese twist on pumpkin pie!

Difficulty: Easy | Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes | Ingredient Availability: Easy- Moderate