dark chocolate mochi bit ice cream + black sesame fudge sauce

Instructions

1. For the mochi bits, up to one day ahead:  Preheat the oven to 275° F and line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat the butter and the chocolate together in a small saucepan over low heat or in a bowl in the microwave in 15-second increments, stirring frequently until smooth.  Whisk in the milk and vanilla, then add to the dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into the lined baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 60 minutes. The mochi is done when it is soft and gelatinous but holds its shape when touched.  If not set at an hour, raise the temperature to 300° F and remove the foil. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, uncovered.
5. Let cool completely or overnight. Dust a surface with your starch (alternatively, you can simply use more mochiko flour) and turn the mochi onto the surface. Sprinkle starch over the mochi. Cut the mochi into small pieces, then dust again with starch or flour.  Set aside.
6. Make the ice cream: In a bowl, stir together 1⁄4 cup milk and the cornstarch; set slurry aside.  In a separate bowl, place the cream cheese and allow to warm to room temperature. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining milk and the cream, sugar, syrup, and salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 4 minutes, watching to make sure the mixture doesn’t boil over (slide the pot halfway off the heat if it does).  Stir in the slurry, then return to a boil and cook, still stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture over the cream cheese and whisk vigorously until smooth. Then whisk in the remaining milk mixture.
7. Rinse out the saucepan and return to heat.  Add the cocoa, brewed coffee, and sugar, and bring to a boil.  Cook for 30 seconds, then remove from heat and stir in chocolate.
8. Stir the chocolate mixture into the ice cream base.  Chill overnight or place into a Ziploc or jar and then into an ice bath until fully cold.
9. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers’ instructions.  Add a third of the ice cream to a 9×4 loaf pan.  Sprinkle the mochi bits over the ice cream, then add another third and repeat.  Finish with the rest of the ice cream and more mochi bits.  (You’ll have a lot of chocolate mochi left over.  It’s excellent straight from the freezer or fridge.)  Place the loaf pan into the freezer to allow the ice cream to firm completely.
10. While the ice cream is chilling, make the fudge sauce:  Pulse the toasted black sesame seeds in a small food processor or blender until it forms a fine powder.  Combine the cream, syrup, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low, stirring, just until melted, then remove from heat and stir in the black sesame powder and the chocolate until smooth.  Use immediately over the ice cream or refrigerate for up to a week.