Summer Desert Sushi

Inspiration:  Tasty, creative summer project for kids

It took me three tries to get the sweet sushi rice for this recipe to the perfect consistency.   The result is a delicious and not too sweet summer desert that is a fun project for kids during the summer months.  Let your imagination go wild with different fruit combinations.  Add a little puffed rice (Rice Krispies) to mimic tempura flakes, or maybe a drizzle of nutella, chocolate or salted butter caramel sauce (try the ones from Williams Sonoma - they're delicious).  


Use your own thin crepe recipe and a 10 inch non-stick pan.  If you don't have a crepe recipe, mine is below.   Just a thought:  If you are cooking crepes for breakfast, make a few extra and keep them in the freezer to use later.  Enjoy! 

Sweet Sushi Rice:  makes about 4 maki rolls (30 pieces)

• 1 cup (250ml) of sushi rice
• 1 cup (250ml) of water
• 1 can (400ml) of coconut milk
• 3T (45ml) of sugar
• 1T of vanilla paste or extract

1.  Start by placing the sushi rice (1 cup - 250ml) and the water (1 cup - 250ml) in a small saucepan.  Over medium heat, bring to a gentle boil.  

2. Add the coconut milk (1 can - 400ml), the sugar (3T - 45ml) and the vanilla paste/extract (1T -15ml).  Stir to combine and bring again to a gentle boil.

3. Cover the pot and allow the sushi rice to cook for 20 minutes.  Stir every 5 minutes to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.  

4. Remove the pot from heat and allow the rice to sit, covered, for 10 more minutes.

5. Place the rice in a shallow baking pan, spreading it out gently, to allow it to cool.  Cover with a damp, clean dish towel to prevent it from drying (about 15 minutes).

6. When the rice is easy to handle, start creating your sweet maki rolls.

Creating the maki rolls:  

Place the crepes on a bamboo sushi mat that you have covered with plastic wrap.  Dip your fingers into a bowl of water and begin to press a thin, even layer of rice over the crepe leaving a half inch border at the top without rice.  

Drizzle the centre with chocolate or caramel sauce and begin to lay your choice of fruit filling on top.  Sprinkle with rice crispies and a little more sauce (to act as glue).  

Roll the fruit maki as you would a normal maki roll, placing a few grains of cooked rice (crushed with your fingers) on the top border of the crepe to act as a glue. Cut into even pieces and serve with chocolate and caramel dipping sauce or English cream.

Filling ideas:

• Banana, cut just before rolling in 2 inch sticks
• Pineapple, cut in 2 inch sticks
• Strawberries, hulled and sticks
• Mango, cut in 2 inch sticks
• Kiwi, peeled and cut horizontally in wedges
• Puffed Rice Cereal
• Chocolate, salted caramel sauce
• Nutella

Crepes:  Makes about 7 - 8 inch in diameter, crepes  

2 large eggs,

1 1/2 (375ml) cups of milk

1t of vanilla extract or paste

1 cup (250ml) of all purpose flour

2T (30ml) of icing sugar

pinch of salt

Oil spray

Place the eggs (2 large) in a medium bowl and whisk.  Add the milk (1 1/2 cups - 375ml) and vanilla extract (1t) and whisk until well combined with the eggs.  In a separate bowl mix the flour (1 cup - 250ml) , icing sugar (2T - 30ml) and pinch of salt.  Add the flour mixture to the milk and eggs and whisk to combine (the batter should be the constancy of heavy cream).  Allow to sit for 15 - 30 minutes (you can also use a blender to for this step).

Heat a non stick pan over medium heat.  Just before making crepes, spray with oil.  Ladle (fill the ladle to 3/4) the batter in the center of the pan and rotate the pan to spread the batter thinly and evenly.  Cook for 1 minute and flip the crepe.  Cook for another minute and set aside.  Cover the cooled crepes with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying. 

Continue to make the crepes with the remaining batter.  You will probably need to lightly re-oil the pan only after every 2 or three crepes.  As you go, you will be able to assess if the crepes are sticking slightly and you can then add a little more oil spray for the next one.  Enjoy!

Here is a wonderful video to help you out: