Mochi with ice cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ice cream
• Cornstarch for dusting
• 1 cup sweet or glutinous rice flour
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 drop of food coloring

Preparation:

1. Line a small baking sheet or egg carton with plastic wrap. Scoop 8 firm scoops of ice cream using a 30 ml (1 oz) ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons each). Freeze on the prepared baking sheet or egg carton until completely set, at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Place a large piece of parchment paper on your work surface. Using a fine-mesh sieve, generously dust the parchment with cornstarch. Use more cornstarch than you think necessary, as the dough will be very sticky.
3. In a large bowl, combine the rice flour, sugar, water, and food coloring until smooth. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula, until a firm, sticky dough forms, 5-7 minutes. It's okay if it looks lumpy at first; any lumps will smooth out. The dough should be very thick and feel slightly firm and elastic.
4. Transfer the dough to parchment paper and sprinkle generously with cornstarch. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and carefully shape it into a thin disk. Let the dough cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
5. Roll out the dough into a large round or oval shape, about 0.5 cm thick. Using a fluted or regular round cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Gather the scraps to cut out more circles, dusting with cornstarch as needed (you should have at least 8 circles of dough).
6. Sprinkle a plate with cornstarch; make sure the dough circles are coated with cornstarch, then place them on the plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
7. Assemble the mochi:
   
   Put on plastic gloves, if available. Line a small baking sheet or 22x32 cm (9x13 in) baking dish with parchment paper, sprinkle generously with cornstarch, and place in the freezer. Fill a small dish with cool water. Working with one circle of dough at a time, gently shake off excess cornstarch and place the round dough into your hand.
8. Working quickly, place a scoop of ice cream in the center of the dough. Gently lift the edges of the dough to enclose the ice cream and press them together, brushing the edges with water if they don't stick. Gently stretch, twist, and pinch the dough to seal the ice cream inside. Immediately place the mochi, seam-side down, in a cool container in the freezer.
9. Repeat with the remaining dough circles and ice cream balls. Cover the mochi with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 1-2 hours. Let it soften for a few minutes before eating.