Pumpkin-Shaped Dduk

Nothing is more fun than serving up an allergy-free pumpkin patch for your little ones to enjoy.  I made this little patch of Pumpkin-Shaped Dduk and "planted" it in a bento box. 

It was a very fun fall treat!

Pumpkin-Shaped Dduk

1/2 C rice flour

1/8 C sugar

1/8 t salt

1 T mango juice

3/4 t black cherry unsweetened Kool-Aid *

1t lime Jello

5 T hot water

1. Place first three ingredients in a small bowl and stir.
2. Remove 2 T of dry mix and set aside.
3. Add mango juice and stir again. 
4. Add Kool-Aid 1/4 t at a time, mixing until the desired orange-toned color is achieved.
5. Once you have achieved the desired color, add hot water, 1 T at a time, until the mix forms a dry ball.
6. Knead the dough and set aside.
7. Now, add lime Jello to the dry mix that we set aside earlier.
8. Stir hot water, 1 t at a time, into the lime Jello mixture until the mix begins to clump.
9. Knead the dough and set aside.
10. Allow the dough to rest at room temp for at least 5 minutes.  This lets the rice flour "bloom".
11. When ready to shape pumpkins, turn orange dough onto a silpat.
12. Taking a small amount of dough, form a ball by rolling the dough in your hands.  You may need a little water on your fingertips to keep the dough from sticking. But, be careful not to use too much or the dough will get too soft. 
13. Gently push down on the top and bottom center of your ball to form a small indention for your "stem".
14. Using a chopstick, make indentions around the sides of the pumpkin to form the ridges on a pumpkin's skin.
15. As shapes are formed, place them in a glass "bento" box such as from Pyrex, LockNLock, or GlassLock.
16. Once the pumpkins are made, it is time to make the stems, leaves, stems and green "baby" pumpkins.
17. The baby pumpkins are made in the same way as the larger pumpkins, only using smaller portions of dough.
18. To form the stems, make a thin "snake" and cut off a tiny piece.  Place the piece at the center of your "pumpkins".
19. For the vines,  make long "snakes".  Twist the "snakes" around your finger or a chopstick to make coils and lay the "vines" on their pumpkins.
20. For leaves, you should use your fingers to flatten a very small piece of dough.  Pinch one end of the dough to make a tear-drop or leaf shape.  Use your chopstick to make indentions for the leaf's veins.
21. Once you have arranged your pumpkin patch in your bento box, cover the box with a piece of wet paper towel.
22. Place the bento in the microwave and cook 30 seconds at a time until done.  The dough should not be hard but it should resist when gently touched.
23. When ready, remove the dduk from the microwave using hot pads.
24. Allow rice cakes to cool then cover tightly with plastice wrap.

NOTE: Rice cakes do not keep well. You should eat them the same day.

* Black Cherry unsweetened Kool-Aid is the only mix without a corn product.