How to Make Pusheen Dango 胖吉貓糰子

Recently, I’ve fallen in love with Dango 糰子.  Dango is a type of Japanese Wagashi 和菓子.  What are Wagashi?  They are traditional Japanese confections that are usually made of mochi and served with tea.  They could be elaborated with designs and fillings or as simple as these sesame dango, which are slightly sweetened but not filled.  Do you like these Pusheen dangos?  Aren’t they the most kawaii treats you’ve seen lately?   If you haven’t seen my Bunny Dango yet, you should click here to check them out and let me know which one you like better.



My Baby Girls and some of her friends are crazy about Pusheen lately!  I don't blame them!  This chubby little kitten is certainly super adorable!  If you’re not familiar with this cute Japanese Character, you can check out her own website here!



My version of dango are made with just a few simple ingredients.  I don’t use water to mix the dough but only used the moisture from the silken tofu.  The tofu not only added a hint of flavor to these dango, but also more nutritious.  It keeps the dango dough soft and smooth and quite easy to handle.  To achieve the grey color of Pusheen, I added some black sesame powder to the dango dough.  You can taste the sesame but not too strong.  Just keep in mind that if you add more sesame powder, the end product might turn out even darker.  As you can see, they do darken quite a bit after they’re cooked.  



To maintain the gorgeous figure of Pusheen, she has to consume quite a bit of yummy food every day!  Apparently, doughnuts are one of her favorites as you can see from the many pictures that she always seems to be holding one wherever she goes!  



These sesame Pusheen Dangos are delicious as the way they are, but you can also put them on other dessert as an edible decoration.  I made these strawberry pudding dessert cups with Pusheen Dango on top for a good friend’s daughter’s birthday party because Pusheen was the theme! 




This recipe is quite fun and easy to make and I hope you’ll give it a try soon!  Check out the list below for all the ingredients and special tools that I used for this recipe.  Stay tuned for more fun and yummy recipe soon!


Tools and Ingredients Used:
Edible Color Markers (Click here for more information)
Skimmer Strainer (Click here for more information)
Glutenous Rice Flour (Click here for more information)
Measuring Cups Set (Click here for more information)
Food Decorating Tongs/Tweezers (Click here for more information)
Bamboo Picks (Click here for more information)
Black Sesame Powder (Click here for more information)
Doughnut Shape Cereal (Click here for more information)
White Chocolate chips (Click here for more information)
Red Candy Melt (Click here for more information)
Wilton Rainbow Nonpareils (Click here for more information)
Powdered Sugar (Click here for more information)
Parchment Paper (Click here for more information)



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How to Make Pusheen Dango 胖吉貓糰子:
Makes: 12


Ingredients for the Mini Doughnut:

12 doughnut shaped cereal
2 tablespoons of white chocolate chips
1 piece of red candy melt
small sprinkles

Ingredients for the Sesame Pusheen Dango: 
(makes 12)

6 tablespoons glutinous rice flour
2 ounces silken tofu
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon black sesame powder
Edible candy marker

To Prepare the Mini Doughtnuts:

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chip and candy melt in the microwave for 20 seconds.  Stir until the chocolates are melted.  Heat 10 more seconds if necessory.  Dip one side of the cereal into the melted chocolate, add some mini sprinkles on top.  Set aside for now for the chocolate to set.

To prepare the Pusheen Dango:

Prepare 12 pieces of 2 x 2-inches parchment papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk glutenous rice flour, powdered sugar and sesame powder until well incorporated.  Add in tofu and knead the mixture until it forms into a dough ball.  The dough should be soft but not sticky.  If it’s too sticky, add a little bit more glutenous flour;  if the dough is too dry, add a small amount of tofu. 

Take 1 to 2 teaspoons of dough and roll in between your palms to form a ball.  Gently pinch one side to form a “teardrop” shape.  Take 2 small pieces of dough and form them into triangles in between your finger tips.  Attach the triangles onto the pointy side of the teardrop dough as Pusheen’s ears.  Gently press the bottom of the triangles to smooth away the seams. 

Roll another small piece of dough into a log and attach it onto 1 side on the bottom of the teardoup as Pusheen’s tail.  Roll another 2 smaller pieces of dough into logs and attach them in the front as Pusheen’s arms.
 
Use an edible candy marker to draw out Pusheen’s facial features, 3 hairs between the ears, eyes, nose, whiskers, marks on the back and tails.

Place shaped Pusheen onto each of the prepared parchment paper.  The parchment will prevent Pusheen dango from sticking onto the plate and helps the dango hold their shapes during the cooking process.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.  Carefully place the dangos into the water, along with the parchment papers.  After a minute, the paper can be easily removed.  Take them out of the water and continute to cook the dango.  When the dango flow to the top of the water, they are cooked throw.  Tranfer them to a bowl of cold water to prevent from sticking.

Insert a small toothpick half way through the dango from the bottom for easy serving.  Add the prepared doughnut cereal in the middle between Pusheen’s arms.  Enjoy!

They are great as is and it’s a wonderful addition to decorate other desserts.