Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box

Make it a Pusheen Christmas for lunch with this Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box! Based off the Holiday Pusheen Surprise Blind Box design, this Pusheen is cute and healthy, thanks to the use of naturally dyed rice and egg. Plus, learn how to make colored egg crepes like a a pro with my easy tips & tricks!

 

Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box - Based off the Holiday Pusheen Surprise Blind Box design, this festive Pusheen the Cat bento is made from naturally dyed rice & egg. Plus, learn how to make colored egg crepes like a pro with 4 super easy tips & tricks. | loveatfirstbento.com {kyaraben, character bento}

What’s at the top of your Christmas list? For me, it’s most definitely the Holiday Cheer Pusheen Surprise Blind Box (among a multitude of other Pusheen items). I can hardly pick a favorite, they’re all so freaking cute, but my heart spasmed the hardest when I first saw the Christmas Tree Pusheen plush – which, of course, just happens to be the rarest surprise plush. While my chances of unboxing a Christmas Tree Pusheen are slim, I’ve decided to make everyone’s chances of at least receiving it for lunch a 100% guarantee, thanks to this adorable and incredibly festive Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box! Made from naturally dyed rice and egg crepe, this Christmastime Pusheen is as fun to make as it is to eat, and the perfect way to infuse your holidays with a little extra dose of Pusheen!   

Christmas Tree Pusheen gets her fat rounded triangle shape thanks to a triangular onigiri mold, which ends up doing 95% of the molding for you. The rice is given a classic grey Pusheen hue thanks to finely ground black sesame seeds – be sure to check out all of my tips for achieving perfect grey Pusheen rice (+ video tutorial!) in my Witch Pusheen Halloween Bento post.

Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box - Based off the Holiday Pusheen Surprise Blind Box design, this festive Pusheen the Cat bento is made from naturally dyed rice & egg. Plus, learn how to make colored egg crepes like a pro with 4 super easy tips & tricks. | loveatfirstbento.com {kyaraben, character bento}

To make the Christmas tree portion of Christmas Tree Pusheen, I dyed egg crepe a turquoise color by adding a little bit of spirulina powder. Egg crepe is an incredibly useful decorating tool when it comes to stylized or character bento boxes; it’s easy to cut, is durable yet flexible, and can be dyed all sorts of fun colors. When it comes to making and dying these versatile sheets of egg, there are a few key tips I recommend following for optimal results:

  1. Add cornstarch to your egg mixture. The addition of cornstarch creates a slightly stronger, more pliable egg sheet, which is essential for when you’re shaping the egg crepe in intricate ways or wrapping it around other food items.
  2. Use only egg whites. Unless you’re aiming to make a yellow egg crepe, you’re going to need a perfectly white “canvas”, so to speak, if you plan on creating colored egg crepes. Note that the color will become lighter once the dye is added to the egg white mixture and then cooked, so add your dye accordingly.  
  3. Strain the egg mixture. While this step is optional, straining your egg white mixture through a fine-mesh sieve creates a much smoother, more uniform egg crepe that is more aesthetically pleasing than if you were to leave it unstrained. It’s also useful for removing any clumps that may have formed from adding in any powdered dyes.
  4. Cook the egg crepe over low heat. Cooking over high heat is more likely to lead to air bubbles forming in your egg crepe, and can also lead to browning on the bottom – both will have a negative effect on the aesthetics and color of your egg crepe. Cooking low and slow is the way to go; use a tight fitting lid to help the top of the egg crepe cook through, and take the pan completely off the element if you see air bubbles starting to form or the pan seems to be getting too hot.

 

Watch how to make Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box (65 sec):

While you can certainly use artificial food dyes to add color to your egg crepes, I always opt for all-natural ingredients, such as the spirulina powder I used for Christmas Tree Pusheen. You can see another example of naturally dyed egg crepe in this Hello Kitty Cherry Bento, which features a pretty pink one dyed with beet powder!

To complete this holiday Pusheen bento box, I packed my bento with sides of salt & pepper shrimp, “Christmas colored” bell pepper kinpira, and steamed broccoli topped with parmesan “snow”. I also had some fun with my snowflake punch, which was used to create the little cheese & nori snowflake medallions resting on top of the broccoli. The broccoli is also useful for keeping the egg crepe “tree branches” in place and snug against Christmas Tree Pusheen’s rice body.

Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box - Based off the Holiday Pusheen Surprise Blind Box design, this festive Pusheen the Cat bento is made from naturally dyed rice & egg. Plus, learn how to make colored egg crepes like a pro with 4 super easy tips & tricks. | loveatfirstbento.com {kyaraben, character bento}

So why not give a Pusheen fan you love an early Christmas gift, by presenting them with this irresistible Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box for lunch? Or, better yet, keep it all for yourself so you can revel in the cuteness your entire lunch break 😉 Either way, this Pusheen bento is guaranteed to brighten up anyone’s day with just one bite. And, for an extra dose of Christmas Pusheen cheer, why not present it together with a Holiday Cheer Pusheen Surprise Box? I mean, you never know – you may just get lucky and unbox the rare Christmas Tree Pusheen alongside your matching bento! 😉

Which Holiday Cheer Pusheen Surprise Plush is YOUR favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

 

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Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box - Based off the Holiday Pusheen Surprise Blind Box design, this festive Pusheen the Cat bento is made from naturally dyed rice & egg. Plus, learn how to make colored egg crepes like a pro with 4 super easy tips & tricks. | loveatfirstbento.com {kyaraben, character bento}

Christmas Tree Pusheen Bento Box


  • Author: Shannon
  • Yield: 1 Christmas Tree Pusheen
  • Category: Character Bento

Description

Based off the Holiday Pusheen Surprise Blind Box design, this festive Pusheen the Cat bento is made using naturally dyed rice & eggs, and easily shaped using a rice mold. Plus, a bonus recipe teaches you how to easily make naturally dyed egg crepes. {Vegetarian}


Ingredients

Food Items:

  • ~1/2 cup cooked Japanese short-grain rice
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons finely ground black sesame seeds
  • Nori seaweed
  • 1/4 red bell pepper
  • 1 slice white cheese
  • 1/4 yellow egg crepe (recipe can be found HERE)
  • 1 thick slice cucumber
  • 1 fried spaghetti noodle
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon spirulina powder (can substitute matcha powder or spinach powder)
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Recommended Tools:

  • Triangle onigiri mold
  • Cat face nori punch
  • Circle cutter pen tool
  • Food cutter wheels set (yellow wheel)
  • Heart shaped cookie cutter (optional; can use a craft or paring knife instead)
  • Yellow star food pick
  • Plastic wrap

Instructions

Dyed Egg Crepe:

  1. Take your 2 eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Add the whites to a small bowl and discard the egg yolks. (Alternatively, use the egg yolks to make the yellow egg crepe needed later on in this recipe!)
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the egg whites.
  3. Add spirulina to the egg white mixture, and whisk together until everything is fully mixed. Optional: Strain the egg mixture through a fine-meshed strainer – this results in a smoother egg crepe.
  4. Heat a small non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add the egg mixture, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Cover pan with lid and allow the egg crepe to fully cook. Remove carefully with a spatula and allow to cool.

Dying & Molding the Rice:

  1. Add ground black sesame seeds to warm rice and mix until evenly colored. Feel free to add more ground black sesame if you’d like a darker grey color.
  2. With a damp paper towel, wipe the inside of your onigiri mold until it’s completely damp. Fill the mold with the grey rice until it’s 3/4 full, then insert the removable top piece and push until it’s fully inserted into the mold. Remove the top piece and flip the rice mold over, making sure to do this over top a sheet of plastic wrap. If your rice mold has little push indents on the bottom, push it gently with your thumb, then gently tap the bottom and sides of the mold until the onigiri slides out. Wrap fully in plastic wrap.
  3. Using your pinky finger, gently press it down into the pointy end of the onigiri, and rub your finger back and forth until an indent forms – this is the beginning of Pusheen’s ears. Use your index finger and thumb to “pinch & pull” at the two ears, until they start to become pointy and well defined. Smooth out and elongate the rest of the body with your hands and fingers, pressing down and rubbing as necessary. Be careful not to squish the body as you shape the ears; you want to maintain the rounded triangle shape as much as possible.

Decorations:

  1. Using the cat face nori punch, punch out the full design from the nori. Reserve the eyes and mouth/nose piece, and discard the other pieces.
  2. Optional: Take the nori nose/mouth piece, and, with scissors, carefully cut off both sides of the nose, until you are left with only a straight line sticking up from the mouth.
  3. Using the circle cutter pen tool (larger side), cut out circles from the red pepper, yellow egg crepe, and white cheese. Based off Christmas Tree Pusheen’s design, you will need 2 yellow circles, 3 red circles, and 3 white circles, but feel free to do more or less.
  4. With a small knife, cut out 3 long rectangular strips from the turquoise-dyed egg crepe; the strips should be long enough to wrap around the grey rice Pusheen body, and approximately 1.5 cm in width (this will, of course, depend on the size of Pusheen’s body, but use this measurement as a starting point).
  5. Using the pointy end of the heart cookie cutter, cut out a continuous line of triangles across the bottom edge of each egg crepe strip – these will become the Christmas tree branches that cover Pusheen’s body. Use the diagram below as a reference for the cutting pattern.
  6. Using the long petal-shaped cutter located in the very middle of the yellow food cutter wheel, use the rounded end to cut out a “treetop” from the cucumber slice. This will become the “hat” that Christmas Tree Pusheen wears that looks like the top of the Christmas tree.
  7. Place the cucumber cutout on top of a leftover piece of turquoise-dyed egg crepe, and, using a craft knife or paring knife, cut around the cucumber to create a piece of egg crepe that matches it in size and shape. Basically, you’re using the cucumber cutout as a trace for the dyed egg crepe. Reserve both pieces for later.
  8. Using a craft knife or pairing knife, cut off the two pointy ends of the cucumber/egg treetop – this ensures the treetop fits snugly on top of Pusheen’s head and in between her ears. Follow the cutting outline in the diagram below.

Assembly:

  1. Take the yellow star food pick and insert it into the rounded end of the cucumber “treetop”. Then, insert the treetop right in between rice Pusheen’s ears. Use tweezers to add the dyed egg crepe piece on top of the cucumber.
  2. Using clean hands, wrap the dyed egg crepe “tree branches” around the Pusheen rice body, starting with the one at the very bottom and working your way up. The branches should overlap slightly. Tuck the loose ends underneath the Pusheen rice body so that the branches stay in place.
  3. Using tweezers, add the nori facial features (eyes & nose/mouth) to Pusheen’s face.
  4. Using tweezers, add the red, yellow, and white circles onto the egg crepe tree branches, using a bit of honey or mayo to help them stick better (if desired). Based on Christmas Tree Pusheen’s design, you should add 2 circles to the top branch, and 3 circles each to the middle and bottom branches.
  5. Take the fried spaghetti noodle and break off 4 small pieces – these will become Pusheen’s whiskers. Carefully push them into both sides of Pusheen’s face (2 on each side).

Notes

  • To help the nori facial features stand out better against the grey rice, place them on top of white cheese and cut around them using a craft knife or paring knife, until you’re left with a small white cheese border around the nori pieces. Apply them as you normally would to Pusheen’s face, using a bit of honey or mayo to help them stick better.
  • When packing Christmas Tree Pusheen into a bento box, use filler foods such as steamed broccoli and/or cherry tomatoes to help keep the egg crepe branches in place.
© Love At First Bento. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use any image without my prior permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your own site, you are required to (1) link back to this post and (2) rewrite any instructions in your own words.

 

Tools used to make this bento:

 

Comments (11)

  • Shannon, I always just love visiting your site! Everything is so darling – it makes me happy simply looking at your gorgeous pictures! I just called my daughter over to show her how adorable your work is, and she definitely agreed! This Christmas Bento is no exception – it’s so very pretty! And you know me – I love that there are lots of healthy components, too – perfect! Definitely sharing this! Merry, merry Christmas to you! 🙂

    Reply
    • Your comment totally made my entire day Shelley – thank you SO much! I so appreciate all the kind words and support 🙂 So glad you (and your daughter!) enjoyed this cute little bento! I hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas as well! <3

      Reply
  • Who wouldn’t love to receive this cute Christmas bento box?! So creative and festive! Love it ??

    Reply
    • I know right? I think I would die if someone made this for me! 😆 Thanks so much for the lovely comment Kelly! 😀

      Reply
  • such good tips about cooking the egg!!! i can never mix it until it’s completely homogeneous, so straining it out sounds like the best way to make sure it’s as smooooth as possible (:

    Reply
    • Thanks Heather! I have that same issue too, and the straining most definitely helps with that. I actually have a mini strainer I use solely for that purpose 😆

      Reply
  • Hi Shannon, this is sooooooo adorable. And it looks totally delicious. It must have taken you a long time too put this post together. Soooo informative. Using cornstarch in the egg crepe is a great tip. I’ve never thought of using it but I will give it a try next time. I hope you had a lovely Christmas.

    Reply
    • Thank you so so much Hyeon! 🙂 Glad you liked the cornstarch tip, it’s definitely a game changer!

      Reply
  • Oh my gosh that is SO cute! Pusheen is like peekaboo-ing out of the tree!! haha 🙂 I love the tip about the cornstarch! I had no idea that was how you’d get a more pliable egg but it makes sense now!! 🙂 You’re so detailed on the instructions too! I love this, it’s like you’re right there with me, so I can’t mess up.

    Reply
    • Haha, thank you so much Joyce, so glad you like this bento! Isn’t Christmas Tree Pusheen just the cutest?? I could hardly eat the bento after, it was just so cute! So glad you like my detailed instructions; I’m always worried I get a little too detailed, so I’m relieved to hear that they’re actually helpful 🙂 So appreciate your kind words! <3

      Reply
  • Hi, Shannon. They look soooooo amazing.

    Reply

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