I’ve been long overdue for a Pocky recipe post. I did few colorful features on these goodies last year, and was waiting for a good time to bring on a 5th recipe. Well, here they are…Pumpkin Pocky, just in time for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and all your pumpkin-inspired fall festivities!
Pocky are what I consider to be the quintessential tea cookie. I love that the straight-forward flavors pair perfectly with teas, and that they’re always a crowd-pleaser. Sencha green tea and Strawberry Pocky is one of my favorite parings, as is Chai with Chocolate Pocky. I love pairing Kona Coffee Pocky with Hong Kong Milk Tea, and of course, when you’re in need of a pick-me-up you can’t go wrong with a double dose of Matcha with Matcha Pocky.The secret ingredient in Pumpkin Pocky is powdered pumpkin. You can find powdered pumpkin at well-stocked health food stores or online. The powder is basically made of dried pumpkin flesh that has been ground up finely. I like that you get pure pumpkin flavor and color from it, free of any other additions.
In keeping with traditional pumpkin flavors, I like to add a touch of pumpkin pie spice to the dipping chocolate along with the pumpkin powder itself. Poppy seeds, black sesame seeds, or an extra dash of the same pumpkin pie spice make yummy finishes.
The roasted, twiggy taste of Hojicha green tea melds perfectly with the sweet taste of pumpkin here. And for the caffeine-free tisane lover, try enjoying Homemade Pumpkin Pocky with a woodsy Rooibos–it’s a brew just as fall-inspired as Hojicha is, a rich and cozy cup!Homemade Pumpkin Pocky
Makes about 20 stick cookies.
Ingredients:
12 oz package of vanilla candy melts or 11 oz bag white chocolate chips
1/4 cup pumpkin powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 package of grissini, cut into 5″ pieces with serrated knife to make 20 sticks
extra pumpkin powder, for garnish
poppy seeds or black sesame seeds, for garnish
pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, for garnish
Equipment:
serrated knife
double boiler
rubber spatula
tea towel
large baking sheet fitted with parchment paper
small baking sheet or plate fitted with parchment paper
tall, narrow drinking glass, at least 6″ tall
Directions:
Step-by-step photos of the dipping process are in my Homemade Chocolate Pocky post!
1. Fill bottom of double boiler with water, making sure the water doesn’t make contact with the base of the top bowl of the double boiler. Bring water to a gentle simmer (bring water to boil, then reduce to very low heat). Place white chocolate or candy melts in top bowl of double boiler. Using rubber spatula, gently melt the chocolate. Mix in the pumpkin powder, pumpkin pie spice, and vegetable oil. If you are using white chocolate (not candy coating) you may need to mix in another 1-2 tsp of oil to get a nice dipping consistency. Remove the bowl of chocolate from heat, and wipe steam off the outside of the bowl with a tea towel.
2. Carefully pour the melted chocolate into the drinking glass to a height of 4″.
3. Dip the cut grissini into the melted chocolate leaving the top 1″ undipped. As you get further along in dipping, you may need to tilt the glass to distribute the chocolate upwards so that you are able to cover all 4″ of each grissini with the chocolate. Gently shake off any excess chocolate, then place the dipped cookie on the small baking sheet or plate fitted with parchment. Let the Pocky stick sit here for about a minute to allow any excess chocolate to pool onto the parchment/paper plate.
4. Transfer the stick to the large parchment lined baking sheet to fully dry. Repeat the dipping process with the remaining grissini. If you use white chocolate, the Pocky take about 1 hour to fully dry/harden. If you use candy melts, they will take about 20 minutes to dry. In a pinch, you can place the dipped cookies in the fridge to speed up the drying process. Homemade Pocky are best eaten within a day or two, as the bread sticks tend to soften with time.
Variation: Generously scatter with extra pumpkin powder, poppy seeds/black sesame seeds, or extra pumpkin pie spice/cinnamon on the just-dipped Pocky before transferring the cookie sticks to the large parchment lined baking sheet to dry.