Dessert Sushi

June 18: International Sushi Day

Japanese sushi is a staple in our household. Whether we grab a sushi bento/boxed lunch at the local grocery store or dine in at an Asian restaurant for date night, we really like the tasty combination and artistic presentation of formed or rolled rice and seafood. Although we prefer cooked over raw sushi, Highlander is a bit more adventurous than Islander. He will eat spicy tuna, salmon and even eel, but Islander sticks to shrimp, crab and vegetable rolls.

For a fun twist on Far Eastern flavors, we have experimented with and made dessert sushi for friends who have not acquired a taste for the exotic like us. Inspired by the photos in her cookbooks and online, Islander assembled preserved snack cakes with candy and sugar décor as sushi ingredients and arranged them creatively on a tray. A platter of colorful dessert sushi is always popular at parties as well as perfect for celebrating International Sushi Day.

Recipe

(Inspired by The Secret Life of Food by Clare Crespo and Confetti Cakes by Elisa Strauss)

For the nori (dried seaweed wrap)

• Dark chocolate or black fondant (Satin Ice or Wilton brand)

Directions

Pinch out a wad of fondant from the package. Knead until pliable. Make a ball and flatten it into a disc. Roll out to 1/8-inch thick. Slice into a square, then into ½-inch wide strips. Keep them dry and covered until ready to wrap around the various dessert sushi.

For the wasabi (horseradish)

• Green, chewy fruit-flavored candies (Jolly Rancher or Starburst brand)

Unwrap the green candy and squeeze into a little mound to look like wasabi. Store in waxed paper pieces until ready to display with the dessert sushi.

For tamago sushi (egg omelet)

• Rice Krispies cereal bar
• Pound cake (click to see our recipe post)
• Dark chocolate/black fondant

Directions

Slice the cereal bar into 1×2-inch long strips about ½-inch thick. Slice the pound cake into the same sizes or just slightly larger.

Put a piece of pound cake on top of the cereal bar. Wrap the fondant nori in the middle with the seams tucked underneath.

For the ikura sushi (salmon roe)

• Chocolate Swiss rolls snack cake (such as Hostess or Little Debbie brand)
• Red or orange tube frosting
• Red or orange nonpareils (we used 4-millimeter size)

Slice the snack cakes into ½-inch thick rolls. Squeeze frosting on top of the flat end of the roll. Put nonpareils on top of the frosting.

For the maki sushi (rolled rice)

• Twinkies or sponge cake roll
• Diced, dried fruits or gummy candies (green and orange)
• Orange nonpareils
• Dark chocolate or black fondant

Directions

Thinly slice off the ends of the Twinkies for a flat edge.  Cut the rest of each Twinkie into quarters.

Arrange green and orange dried fruits or gummy candies in the cream filling. Sprinkle a little bit of the orange nonpareils on top. Cover the side with a strip of fondant.

Bonus Recipe

For the chuka wakame (seaweed salad)

• Green licorice (we used Sour Punch Straws brand apple flavor)
• Sesame seeds (we used both white and black)

Slice the licorice into thin strips. Mound the strands together into a small bowl or saucer. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Display and serve with the dessert sushi.

Notes

• The above dessert sushi ideas are provided as inspiration for our blog readers to jump start their culinary creativity! We have experimented with other colorful wrap and filling combinations for more dessert sushi but are not pictured in this post.
• Green fruit roll-ups/leather may be substituted if colored fondant is unavailable.
• We used chocolate syrup on a small saucer to look like shoyu (soy sauce).
• Domo arigato (thank you very much) to Islander’s parents who gave us the chopsticks, bamboo sushi roller and plates and to Lisa L. who gave us the “Confetti Cakes” book. Islander’s Daddy served in Japan while in the U.S. Navy. Lisa was also born in Japan when her own military father was stationed there.
• Because of the level of mercury found in raw fish,  it is recommended that people be cautious about consuming large amounts of sushi.  So eat dessert sushi as an alternative!
• Search our blog for other Japanese recipes.