Soften the Ice Cream: Leave your vanilla ice cream in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. You want it to reach a soft, scoopable gelato-like consistency.

Fill the Molds: Spoon the softened ice cream into your cake pop molds. Press dense chunks of chocolate brownie right into the center.

Freeze Solid: Insert a popsicle stick into each cavity. Transfer the mold to the freezer and chill until completely hard, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Microwave to Cook: Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir well with a wet spatula, then microwave for another 1 to 1.5 minutes. The dough is ready when it looks translucent and slightly glossy.

Cool and Roll: Generously dust your workstation with potato starch. Turn the hot mochi dough out onto the starch. Once it cools slightly, use a dusted rolling pin to roll it into a thin sheet.

Cut Circles: Use a large round cookie cutter to stamp out 8 mochi circles. Keep them lightly dusted so they don’t stick together.

Unmold the Ice Cream: Take the frozen ice cream pops out of their silicone molds.

Drape the Mochi: Gently drape a circle of gyuhi mochi over each ice cream pop. Smooth it down over the sides to create a flowing, sheet-like ghost effect.

Decorate the Face: Use a piping bag fitted with a small round tip to draw spooky ghost eyes and a mouth using the black icing. A toothpick works great here, too.

Final Freeze: Place the finished ghost pops back onto a parchment-lined tray. Freeze immediately and keep them there until ready to serve.