Spooky Ghost Ganache Mochi Recipe

Chop the dark and milk chocolate finely and place together in a heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan or the microwave, warm the cream gently over medium-low heat just until it starts to steam and small bubbles appear at the edges. Do not boil.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let sit undisturbed for 3 minutes — do not stir yet.

After 3 minutes, gently stir the mixture from the centre outward in small circles, gradually widening, until fully melted, smooth, and glossy.

Refrigerate the ganache for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight, until firm enough to scoop and hold shape like a truffle.

Line a small tray with parchment paper. Dust your hands lightly with cocoa powder. Using a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop 8-9 portions of chilled ganache. Working quickly, shape each into a ghost dome / bell shape: press gently on the parchment to create a flat base, and mound the ganache upward into a rounded peak about 3-4 cm tall, tapering slightly at the top — like a small ghost body under a sheet.

Return shaped ganache ghosts to the fridge while you prepare the mochi.

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.

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.

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 drape over your ganache ghosts (about 10-12 cm diameter). Test one mochi cape over a ganache ghost first to confirm it fully covers the shape and drapes down to the base — resize if needed.

Cut 8-9 circles from the mochi sheet. Using the small round piping nozzle, punch out two small circles for eyes. For the mouth, punch two holes stacked vertically close together to create an oval "O" shape.

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

Take one mochi circle and drape it gently over a ganache ghost, letting it fall naturally around the dome like a sheet or cloak. Pinch and pleat gently at the base if needed, but keep the overall shape loose and ghostly.

Repeat with the remaining mochi circles and ganache ghosts.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving for the softest wrapper texture.