Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Mochi Recipe

Melt the white chocolate gently in the microwave in 15-second bursts stirring between each. Let cool for 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric whisk until smooth and lump-free.

Gradually beat the whipping cream into the cream cheese until fully combined.

Whisk in the mixed spice.

Pour in the cooled melted white chocolate and beat until smooth and fully combined.

Transfer the mixture to a deep dish or shallow bowl. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 4 hours until firmly set.

Line a small tray with parchment paper. Using a small ice cream scoop or teaspoon, scoop 8-10 portions of chilled cheesecake filling onto the tray. Freeze for 30 minutes to 2 hours, until firm enough to handle. Alternatively, fill 8 cavities of a silicone half-sphere mould with the cheesecake mixture (aim for 1½ tablespoons per cavity) and freeze for 1 hour until they can be popped out cleanly.

In a bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour and caster sugar. Gradually whisk in the water until you have a smooth, lump-free liquid batter.

Add 2-3 drops of orange gel food colouring and whisk until evenly coloured to a soft pale pumpkin shade.

Fit the mochi/noodle blade into the bread pan and pour in the mixture.

Select Menu 31 (Mochi) and press Start.

After 50 minutes, the machine will beep. Open the lid and immediately press Start again to begin the kneading/pounding phase.

When the machine beeps at completion, remove the bread pan and let it sit until cool enough to handle (~10 minutes).

Prepare your work surface: tape a large sheet of parchment paper down to your work surface with masking tape. Dust the parchment liberally with cornflour. Dust your hands and a rolling pin heavily with cornflour.

Using a wet spatula, turn the mochi out onto the cornflour-dusted parchment. Dust the top of the mochi liberally with more cornflour.

Roll the mochi out with the cornfloured rolling pin to about 2 mm thick, dusting with more cornflour as needed to prevent sticking. Work quickly while the mochi is still warm and pliable.

Untape the parchment and slide the whole sheet (parchment and mochi) onto a baking tray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set and cool.

Choose a round cutter suitably sized to fully wrap around your cheesecake portions (about 10 cm diameter). Cut circles from the mochi sheet in equal number to your cheesecake portions.

Use a pastry brush to dust off any excess cornflour from each mochi circle.

Prepare your squares of clingwrap.

Take one firm cheesecake portion from the freezer. Place a square of cling wrap on the counter then place a mochi circle on top. Place the cheesecake portion in the centre of the mochi. Bring the corners of the mochi up and around the cheesecake, pinching them together at the top to seal. Bring the cling wrap corners up around everything and twist tightly to shape the mochi into a smooth, round ball with the seam hidden underneath.

Transfer to a tray. Repeat with the remaining mochi and cheesecake portions.

Transfer the wrapped mochi to the fridge. Serve chilled within 1-2 days of assembly. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving for the softest wrapper texture.