SWEET RICE DUMPLINGS (DANGO)

We ate these sweet and sticky rice dumplings in Tokyo as a street food snack and wanted to recreate it at home! In Japan it’s served with a sweet soy glaze, which is fantastic, but these would be great with chocolate or caramel sauce too! Think of it as a new twist on S’mores!! 

INGREDIENTS: 

Dumplings 
⅔ cup joshinko flour 
¾ cup shiratamako flour 
⅔ cup minus 2 tsp warm water 

Sweet Soy Glaze 
4 tbsp sugar 
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp soy sauce 
⅔ cup water 
2 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch 

Tools 
Large bowl
Large pot 
Bamboo or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water
Grill 
Small saucepan 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you prepare the dough. 
2. Combine the flours in a large bowl. 
3. Stir in the warm water, a little bit at a time, using chopsticks. (Dry climates may need a bit more water while humid climates may need a bit less.) 
4. When the mixture begins to stick together and form lumps, use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. 
5. Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes smooth. It should have a marshmallow-like texture. 
6. Form the dough into a ball and cut into 8 equal pieces. 
7. Divide each of those pieces into 2 pieces. 
8. Shape each of the pieces into a smooth, round ball. If you experience any cracking, simply dip your finger in a bit of water and smooth out the cracks. (At this point, you can freeze the dumplings in an airtight container in a single layer. When you’re ready to use them, cook from frozen.) 
9. Prepare a bowl of ice water to place the dumplings in when done cooking. 
10. Carefully add the dumplings to the pot of boiling water and stir occasionally to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom. 
11. Once the dumplings rise to the top, allow them to cook for another 1-2 minutes then remove and place in the ice water bath. 
12. Once the dumplings have cooled, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer to a tray that’s slightly wet so they don’t stick.
13. Skewer three dumplings onto a bamboo skewer. 
14. For the sweet soy glaze, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan before turning on the heat. 
15. Whisk until well combined then heat over medium and continue whisking until the mixture thickens. 
16. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. 
17. To serve the dumplings, finish them by grilling over hot coals until golden brown on the outside. 
18. Serve with plenty of sweet soy glaze over the top or on the side. You could also try these with chocolate or caramel sauce!