Instructions

Pumpkin Spice Rice:

1. In a bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, coconut cream, pumpkin spice, and salt. Once combined, give it a taste: feel like it could be a bit sweeter? Add a little more sugar. Want a bit more of that pumpkin spice essence? Add some more of that spice. How the pumpkin mixture tastes is totally up to your palette, so feel free to adjust as you see fit!
2. Add your pumpkin mixture to warm sushi rice, and mix until the rice is evenly colored.

Super Easy Honey Almond Crunch:

1. In a bowl, combine almonds, honey, and brown sugar, and stir until evenly combined. The almonds will probably clump up a bit from the honey, which is okay; you can either leave them as is, or break them up a bit with your spoon.

Assembly:

1. With a damp paper towel, wipe the inside of your onigiri mold until it’s completely damp.
2. Using a rice paddle or spoon, fill your mold just below the halfway point with warm pumpkin spice rice. Make sure you press the rice gently but firmly into all the crevices.
3. With the handle of your rice paddle or spoon, make a small indentation in the center of your rice, just deep enough to hold your filling.
4. Spoon your honey almond crunch filling into the indent. Be generous!
5. Fill the rest of your mold with rice, until about the 3/4 point – you’ll need some room for the removable top piece to fit on top.
6. Take the removable top piece and insert it into the mold. Push with gentle pressure until the top piece is fully inserted into the mold.
7. 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.

Decorating Options:

• Idea #1: Coat two sides of the onigiri with the honey almond crunch mix. Use clean hands to gently press it to the sides until it adheres (you can also use a little more honey to help it stick, if necessary). Wrap your onigiri fully in plastic wrap, then gently press and spread the almonds until they evenly cover the sides. Allow to set in the fridge.
• Idea #2: Take a small rectangular strip of nori, and, using a leaf nori or craft punch, punch out a single leaf cutout. Using scissors, cut off any excess nori above the leaf – you should be left with a square of nori with the leaf design in the very center. Place this at the base of your onigiri, right in the very middle. Take the excess nori that was cut off from the top, and apply this to the very bottom of the onigiri and onto the other side, so that it looks like one continuous strip of nori. Finish by coating the sides in honey almond crunch (as in Idea #1). Wrap fully in plastic wrap and allow to set.
• Idea #3: Add honey almond crunch mixture to your pumpkin rice, and mix until evenly incorporated. Shape the rice into balls or a triangle (your call!). Optionally top with a generous sprinkle of almond crunch to finish.