I really only came up with this recipe because I was testing out some homemade boba recipes, and I also had to get rid of my leftover cherry blossom ice cream. Truthfully, this was a really simple dessert, at least for me, to make, just because the most labor-intensive thing was the ice cream. Making boba is a lot of fun, and it’s similar to making tang yuan, which is like the Chinese soup-based cousin of Japanese mochi. The matcha green tea soy milk was really straightforward too, so if you have made one of the other recipes that I had listed the cherry blossom/sakura-soy milk ice cream for, you could totally use this recipe to use up the rest of it, and easily! What I love about boba is that it’s gluten-free and vegan, which accompanies the vegan ice cream perfectly. The affogato itself is really aesthetically pleasing, with the green and pink perfectly capturing the aesthetic of Japan in the spring, going into the summer, while the boba adds a fun touch, as an homage to milk tea. I did use mochiko in my boba, just to soften it a little bit more. That’s not the traditional way to make it, but I found that it helps keep the boba soft, especially since it’s being served with ice cream, which would harden it.

For the sakura-soy milk ice cream:
1 cup soy milk
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons minced brined cherry blossoms
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pitaya powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the vanilla until the mixture thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Transfer to a blender and puree with the vanilla until everything is fully smooth and incorporated. Pass through a sieve and chill down the mixture first. Churn in your ice cream machine and then transfer to a shallow tray.

For the boba:
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
2 tablespoons mochiko
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
a pinch of salt
cornstarch

Mix together to form a dough. Place onto a cornstarch-dusted surface and roll out to about 1/8th inch thick-logs. Cut into 1/8th inch cubes and roll into balls. Boil in hot water for 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to float, then place into the simple syrup.

For the simple syrup:
1/3 cup black sugar(use dark brown sugar if you can’t find it!)
1/3 cup water
a pinch of salt

Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Keep warm.

For the matcha soy milk:
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tablespoons ceremonial grade matcha
a pinch of salt

Heat up soy milk until tepid, then whisk in the matcha and salt until incorporated. Strain into pouring jugs.

For serving:
Place the boba and ice cream into tall glasses. Pour the warm matcha soy milk over the ice cream upon serving for an optimal experience.