mochi Archives - 3jamigos

Chewy Black Sesame Rice Cake #CakeforTimmy

By threejamigos | January 24, 2023 | Comments 1 comment

I first made Eric Kim’s Chewy Black Sesame Mochi Cake after a “Bake-a-long” with him, a perk for purchasing his book, Korean American. I was on a “mochi-bender”, if a recipe called for sweet or glutinous rice, I made it. His cake is not only made with mochi, it has black sesame seeds. I LOVE sesame seeds in any form, game on.

Bake-A-long

For those of you who #1 Have read this far down, #2 Pretty darn observant…yes, the Bake-A-Long was quite a while ago. While I loved the sesame flavor and texture of the cake, not gonna lie, the cake was pretty sweet. Eric seems to have a pretty high sugar barometer. I made a mental note to file it away in my brain to try again with a smidge less sugar.

52 Reasons To Try It Again

For all the evils of social media (I say this with a half chuckle) the best thing about it has been finding my peeps. Finding folks with similar interests that I would never in a million years have connected with if not for Facebook or Instagram. A virtual community that shares a common interest. Groups like Food52’s Cookbook Club on Facebook (yep, you need to use FB) where folks like you and I can share recipes, reviews, and kitchen adventures.

Each month features a new (or old) cookbook, which, if you are like me, a cookbook addict, probably have or are in the process of getting. It gives me that little shove to open up that cookbook and try it. It’s also a great resource for tips and reviews for many of the recipes.

This month the selected cookbook is Korean American by Eric Kim. Which reminded me that I haven’t made anything from it in a while. Time to tweak that Chewy Black Sesame Rice Cake again.

Oops, I Did It Again. But as Muffins

I decreased the amount of sugar in the recipe and made muffins instead of a cake. Kinda like having my own personal dessert.

Sweet or glutinous rice flour is not to be confused with rice flour. Sweet rice is much stickier than rice flour. They are not interchangeable. Koda Farms sweet rice is known as Mochiko and is pretty easy to find especially at Asian grocery stores.

Black sesame seeds can be found at most grocery stores in the spice section. Asian grocery stores will also carry sesame seeds in larger quantities and not quite as expensive. You

To reduce the sweetness cut sugar by 1/4 to 1/2 cup. I cut it by 1/2 and it was still sweet enough for my taste. You may have to play with a little. The time between making the original recipe (full sugar load) and when I made the muffins with half sugar taxes my memory as to whether the texture was different

The batter is fairly runny and pourable. Very doable as a cake or muffins. Shorten baking time to 20-25 minutes if making muffins.

Looking for something just a little different, gluten-free, and delicious, look no more, it’s right here.

Chewy Black Sesame Rice Cake

A delicious, dense, chewy, sesame flavored cake from Eric Kim

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian-American

Keyword Black Sesame Seed, cake, chewy, ERic KIm, Mochi

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Equipment

1 9 inch cake pan or
1 12-cup std muffin pan

Ingredients

Cooking spray or butter and flour with plain rice flour

Eggs and Tings'

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar (it's pretty sweet, I use 1/2 cup)
¼ cup honey mild
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

The Wet Stuff

1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract yes, 1 TABLESPOON
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

The Crunch

4 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds divided equally in half

The Dry Stuff

1 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces (227g) glutinous rice flour aka mochiko or sweet rice flour NOT plain rice flour

The Finish

Powdered sugar for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mist an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray or buttered and dusted with rice flour.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, honey, and salt until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, vanilla, melted butter, and sesame oil until combined. Ain't gonna lie, I use my mixer on medium speed.
Using a mortar and pestle (or a coffee/spice grinder), pulverize 2 tablespoons of the black sesame seeds into a rough powder. It should smell very fragrant. Add this sesame powder, along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of whole black sesame seeds, to the bowl with the egg mixture, followed by the baking powder and rice flour. Whisk to combine, then carefully pour the batter into the greased cake pan. This part you can do by hand or machine.
Bake until the top is nicely browned and cracked slightly (this is a good sign), 50 to 60 minutes. You can also insert a chopstick or toothpick into the center of the cake, and if it comes out clean, then it’s done.
For muffins, fill a 12-cup muffin tin that has been buttered to 7/8 full. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.
Cool completely before dusting with the powdered sugar and slicing into wedges to serve. The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Hawaiian Butter Mochi (Mo Buttah’ Mo Bettah’)

By threejamigos | August 13, 2021 | Comments 4 comments

Right before the pandemic hit we capped off a year of traveling by going to Maui. A celebration for the hubster’s birthday and his early retirement was our excuse to pack our bags and head out for some sun, fun, and food. Little did we know it would be our last trip for quite a while.

Hawaiian Delights

I am a sucker for Hawaiian food. A fusion of Native, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean and all of it tweaked so it taste great and is easy to eat while sitting on a beach! Our bucket list of food included Spam Musubi, a hunk of rice topped with a fried slice of SPAM and wrapped in seaweed, Poke’ (seasoned raw fish in a bowl with rice), island style bbq, Huli, Huli Chicken. YUM.

Then there are the sweets, Malasadas (best damn donuts), Haupia (coconut jello) and my favorite, Butter Mochi. Hawaiian Butter Mochi is the island’s answer to Blondies or Brownies but better (I know, them is fighting words). Buttery, gooey, sweet and so satisfying. Like our Spam Musubi quest, we went out of our way to find all things mochi.

This isn’t my first mochi rodeo, I posted a Butter Mochi Muffin recipe a while back that peeps really like (so says Google analytics, lol). Since then it has been off to the “rices” trying recipes with Koda Farms Sweet Rice (glutinous rice flour). Mochi now merits its own category in my recipe index. These muffins started it all, dense, chewy, with a touch of familiar cakiness, and the perfect amount of sugar. They are a great introduction to mochi-based desserts. BONUS: Mochi is gluten-free!

Butter Mochi Muffins — The Muffins that started it all!

Mochi Mania-Island Style

Hawaiian Butter Mochi takes mochi back closer to its Japanese roots, lighter, springier, and less cakey. The recipe calls for coconut milk and regular milk. The regular milk and less mochi flour are the “denseness” buster and gives the mochi its characteristic texture. Butter adds flavor. It is usually baked in a pan and then cut into squares but I decided to bake them in muffin tins. All for the edges folks. Each person ends up with their own gooeylicious mini-cake highlighted by a crispy, buttery edge, and finished with toasty shredded coconut and a sprinkle of Fleur de Sel, soooooo yummy.

Inspired by Aloha Kitchen and the website Catherine Zhang, these Butter Mochi Mini-Cakes are onolicious. I hope you will try them!

The two key ingredients you can find at most Asian stores, sweet rice flour and coconut milk. My go-to brands are Koda Farms Mochiko and Chaokoh or Arroy-D for coconut milk.

The batter will be very pourable due to the use of milk as part of the liquid and less mochi flour.

Don’t be afraid to fill the cups to 7/8. The mini-cakes will puff up but will fall as they are cooling. You will end up with a flat top or sometimes even a slight depression, it’s all good.

Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

Hawaiian Butter Mochi Muffins

This muffin is a mash-up of Hawaiian Butter Mochi and Butter Mochi Muffins! Gooier and less cake-like than my butter mochi muffins. Baked as muffins they have crispy edges and a soft center-onolicious!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Fusion

Keyword butter mochi, hawaiian, Mochi, muffin

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Ingredients

Da Wet Stuff

1/4 cup Unsalted butter 55gm
3/4 cup Coconut milk 170gm
1 cup Whole milk 240gm
2 Eggs

Da Dry Stuff

1 3/4 cup Glutinous rice flour 225gm
1 cup Granulated sugar 200gm
1 tsp Baking powder
Flaked or shredded coconut for garnish, preferably unsweetened but use what you like

Prep Yo Pan

Butter
Rice flour optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Generously grease 12-cup muffin tin with butter and dust with rice flour, if you don't have rice flour, skip it. The flour does help the batter rise in the pan and getting crispy edges.
In a large, microwave safe bowl combine the coconut milk and butter, heat in the microwave for 1 minute
Add the milk and 2 eggs, whisk until combined. I like whole milk but you can use 2% milk or alternative milk like oat milk.
In a medium sized bowl combine the glutinous rice flour, sugar and baking powder
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth
Pour the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups
Sprinkle with coconut and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown
Remove and cool. Muffins will keep for a couple of days on the counter. Pop them in a toaster oven to re-crisp edges. They also freeze pretty well.

Mochi Banana Bread,The Cho-sen One

By threejamigos | July 25, 2021 | Comments 2 comments

I think of myself as a pie person but lately, I have found myself baking cakes. Not fancy multi-layer show-stopper cakes, simple one layer, easy to make, snacking cakes. That grab-and-go type treat, unfussy, portable, the bar cookie of cakes.

Brooklynite pastry chef, Joy Cho, first caught my attention with her amazing Sour Cream Gem Cakes. Made with sweet rice flour and AP flour, the cakes are tender, moist with a bit of springiness. The rice flour gives it that zing that sets them apart from traditional cakes.

The Joy of Snacking Cakes

Her Mochi Banana Bread and Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Snack Cake are a rift on her Gem Cakes. Baked in an 8×8 pan and cut into squares, they’re the low maintenance but no less yummy cousins to Gem Cakes.

The combination of all-purpose flour and sweet rice flour once again makes them springy yet still tender and moist. The butter and sour cream add flavor and richness. The banana cake calls for just ONE banana. Who doesn’t have one over-ripe banana sitting forlornly on the kitchen counter? No more waiting for more bananas to ripen to make banana bread. The toppings add more texture and flavor. Besides nuts and coconut, try chocolate chips or toffee bits. Doesn’t that sound tasty?

So Berry Good

Strawberries are in season so I tweaked the Mochi Banana Bread to make Mochi Strawberry Pistachio Cake Bars. Delicious, but I still like the banana version best. Substitute the same volume of macerated strawberries for the banana. Sprinkle the top with chopped pistachios. To intensify the strawberry flavor, crush freeze-dried strawberries and add 1 tablespoon to the batter or sprinkle it on top of the finished cake.

Chip Off the Old Block

The Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake also has sweet rice flour and all-purpose flour giving it that trademark springy texture. Studded with chocolate chips it definitely satisfies any chocolate cravings. Find it here.

These cakes are in the one bowl realm of simplicity. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl, wet ingredients in a large bowl, add dry to wet, stir until just combined then STOP. BadaBing-BadaBoom, done. Pour batter into a prepared pan, sprinkle goodies on top, bake, cool, cut. DONE. Eatin’ cake in less than an hour. Yep, easy-peasy.

One of these days when I am in Brooklyn I will try her desserts, on my NYC bucket list. Until then, I hope she continues to share her creations and recipes.

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5 from 1 vote

Mochi Banana Bread

Delicious snack cake made with AP flour and Sweet Rice Flour and one banana, the perfect little treat. The Mochi flour gives the cake a hint of springiness. Delicious.

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine Asian-American

Keyword banana cake, Dessert, joy cho, Mochi, mochi banana bread, sweet rice, sweet rice flour

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Ingredients

Da Dry Stuff

2/3 cup glutinous rice flour, like Mochiko (Koda Farms) 90 grams
1/3 cup all-purpose flour 40 grams
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Da Wet Stuff

1 medium to large banana ripe (about 110 grams peeled)
1/2 cup-scant granulated sugar 90 grams
1/4 cup light brown sugar 55 grams
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 113 grams or 1 stick
1/4 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature 60 grams
1 large egg at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Da Toppings

Chopped toasted walnuts and/or toasted coconut for topping (optional)
Chocolate Sprinkles

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, line the pan with parchment paper, and grease the parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk the rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork; some small chunks are fine. Add both sugars and whisk until combined.
Add the butter, sour cream, egg, and vanilla to the banana mixture and whisk until completely smooth.
Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients, then whisk just until no flour lumps remain. Try not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle top with chopped nuts and/or shredded coconut, or any topping you’d like. Toffee chips or chocolate chips come to mind, but that's just me 🙂
Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before cutting into squares. This will keep for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.

Notes

Use these to hold your parchment in place, everyone has metal clips lying around. Keeps parchment from getting in batter by clipping to top rim of baking pan.

Butter Mochi, Microwave Magic

By threejamigos | May 4, 2021 | Comments 11 comments

Yes, on the Mochi treat trail once again. Aside from being delicious, Mochi is pretty darn easy to make thanks to Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour. I have been playing around with recipes that find their roots in Hawaiian Butter Mochi. Sweet Rice flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and different liquids (milk, coconut milk, fruit nectars….) combined and baked into delightful bars or muffins. A bit cakey, a bit chewy yet forgiving, sweet but not cloyingly so, and maddingly addictive. The Butter Mochi Muffins is by far the most popular recipe on 3jamigos. But…

There Is A New Kid In Town

A recipe for Butter Mochi on No Recipes had me running to my kitchen. Whaddya know, these little gems are made in a microwave. Unlike baked Hawaiian Butter Mochi treats, this one is texturally similar to classic mochi found in Japanese Manju Shops. (Worth a visit! Shuei-Do in San Jose or Benkyodo in San Francisco). The riff of adding butter, sugar, and milk is genius. You end up with a soft, chewy, smooth, slightly sweet, buttery, insanely delicious treat.

Shortcuts: Momofuku, Microwave, and Mochiko

The microwave makes this a quick and easy treat. I’ve been playing around with cooking in the microwave ever since I bought a set of Cook Anyday Microwave cookware. Yes I know, I could have used the pyrex glass dish I have but…damn, that Dave Chang of Momofuku is really good at getting you to buy stuff, lol. And really, you can never have too many bowls. I listen to his podcast and its offshoot, Recipe Club. and I find myself laughing A LOT. A good thing during these crazy times.

Traditionally, Mochi starts with glutinous rice that is soaked, steamed, and laboriously POUNDED into a sticky mass that is used to form those cute little balls and squares you take for granted at the Manju Shop. Luckily, we can start with Mochiko or Sweet Rice Flour-no soaking or pounding. Just put everything in a bowl and stir. How easy is that? Along with the microwave, you will be cranking out batches of Butter Mochi in minutes.

Combine Mochiko flour and sugar in a large glass bowl (or microwavable bowl). Add one-third of the milk, stir to make a smooth paste, gradually add the rest of the milk, and stir well for a lump-free batter. Place bowl in the microwave and nuke for two and a half minutes. The mochi will look thicker and form some lumps. Remove the bowl and add the butter. Stir until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth again. The recipe calls for cultured butter which has a slight tang. I used Trader Joe’s French Cultured Butter. You could probably use European-style butter like Kerrygold Irish Butter. I also used salted butter which I think enhances the flavor.

Put it back in the microwave for another three and a half minutes. Carefully (it’s hot!) remove the bowl from the microwave and knead the dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula NOT your hands. This helps create that translucent, elastic texture.

If it doesn’t get that translucent look or isn’t very elastic, try microwaving it another minute. Transfer the Mochi into a small square pan lined with parchment. The recipe calls for a five-by-five-inch pan. Hmmm, not a size I have so I improvised. Place pan (box in my case) in the fridge to chill.

The final step is cutting the Butter Mochi. It will be really sticky. To keep the pieces from sticking dust with potato starch or cornstarch. Sorry folks, powdered sugar will not work as it will absorb moisture from the mochi and turn gummy. Serve. Mochi can be stored at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for longer. Bring to room temp before serving.

And one mor-chi tip

I made a second batch using coconut milk. For folks that are milk intolerant, this would work well. Win-win. Reduce the first microwave time to 2 minutes. It solidified a little quicker than the regular milk version which made stirring in the butter a little harder. You do lose a bit of the pure butter flavor but the coconut milk is a nice complement. Play around with the microwave times for your machine. For the second microwave session, I’d go 3 minutes first and check before zapping it further.

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5 from 3 votes

Butter Mochi

Butter Mochi made in the microwave! Soft, chewy, buttery, a hint of sweetness, this Japanese treat is easy to make and delicious!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian

Keyword brown butter, butter mochi, Dessert, mochiko, sweet rice flour

Prep Time 7

Cook Time 7

Ingredients

100 grams mochiko
90 grams granulated sugar a little less than 1/2 cup
1 cup whole milk or coconut milk
3 tablespoons Cultured Butter (45 grams) TJ's French Cultured Butter or Kerrygold Salted Irish Butter. I like the bit of salt.
Potato starch or cornstarch for dusting

Instructions

Line a 5-inch square pan with parchment paper. Use any small pan, 4x6 (lol, does anyone have a pan this size?)
Add the mochiko and sugar to a large microwave-safe bowl, and then add about 1/3 of the milk. Stir the mixture together until there are no lumps. Add the remaining milk and continue stirring until it is smooth.
Put the bowl, uncovered, in the microwave and set it to cook for 2:30. If you have a 600 watt microwave, use full power. Adjust accordingly.
Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the mixture until it's mostly smooth.
Add the butter and stir until fully melted and incorporated.
Microwave uncovered for another 3:00-3:30. Get to know your microwave!
Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. Use a silicone spatula to knead the mochi together. The mochi is very hot, do not get it on your hands as you stir. The mixture will get very sticky and turn a translucent yellowish-white color as you knead it. If this doesn't happen, microwave it for another minute or two.
Transfer it to the prepared parchment-lined pan and press the butter mochi into the corners and flatten off the top.
Chill the mochi in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm it up. Unmold the butter mochi and peel off the parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to cut it into approximately 1" squares and then dust each piece liberally with potato starch. Brush the excess starch off and serve.

Chocolate Mochi Donuts (I Want MO Mochi)

By threejamigos | February 1, 2021 | Comments 3 comments

Just Another Mochi Monday

I have been eyeing the Chocolate Mochi Donuts from Snixy Kitchen for quite a while. This past dreary, rainy week was the perfect time to finally give the recipe a go. If you have jumped on the mochi band wagon like me, you are familiar with mochi donuts. It is a delicious gluten-free, baked not fried (a la Third Culture Bakery), donut alternative.

Mochi donuts are delightfully chewy and springy. If you live in the Bay Area you might have found yourself standing in line for hours at the Modo Donuts’ pop-up at Mitsuwa Market. You could easily make a couple of batches of mochi donuts in the time you stood in line. These donuts, like Hawaiian Butter Mochi or Mochi Muffins, start with Sweet Rice Flour. My go-to brand is Mochiko by Koda Farms, pretty widely available. Bob’s Red Mill also has SWEET rice flour (do NOT use plain Rice Flour) that you can find at Whole Foods.

PSA: If you like to bake, especially yeast breads, get a scale. You’re welcome.

These Chocolate Mochi Donuts are so easy to make. If you make brownies in a bowl with a wooden spoon, this is the mochi equivalent. Besides the sweet rice flour, the rest of the ingredients are probably sitting in your pantry, cocoa, dark chocolate, butter, and eggs. Okay, you need coconut milk too, which you may not have on hand-Asian markets and most larger supermarkets carry coconut milk (unsweetened, not the cocktail kind). Snixy Kitchen topped her donuts with chocolate icing and matcha icing. I opted for a strawberry icing made with freeze-dried strawberries (damn delicious) instead of Matcha. Sprinkles are a no brainer-everybody likes happy donuts.

My next batch of donuts will be a black sesame chocolate donut and yes, there will be a next time and I won’t wait for inclement weather to make them.

The Icing on the Donut

Commit this to memory, FREEZE-DRIED FRUIT. Yep, previously known only to cereal eaters and backpackers, it is my favorite way to add flavor and color to desserts. I used freeze-dried strawberries from TJ’s for the icing on these donuts and was pleasantly surprised at the vibrant color and flavor of the glaze. I actually liked it more than the chocolate icing. Grind the fruit in a mortar and pestle (if you are a pharmacist by trade like me, lol), or smoosh it with a rolling pin. You can use a food processor but that’s no fun. Add the fruit “dust” to powdered sugar and milk, and bada bing, bada boom-strawberry icing. You are limited only by the variety of fruits that are freeze-dried. I frosted half the donuts with chocolate icing for the classic chocolate-on-chocolate donut, and half with the Strawberry Icing. Finish the donuts with sprinkles, jimmies, chocolate curls, whatever your little heart desires cause that’s how we roll or sprinkle.

So, if you want something a little different, or need a dessert for gluten-intolerant friends or family-make these donuts. Not in the mood for chocolate? Try Butter Mochi Muffins, or Peanut Butter Mochi from Two Red Bowls, or Mango Mochi Muffins all fabulous options.

Don’t have a donut pan because you don’t have an addiction to kitchenware like me? This totally works as muffins. You will need to bake muffins a little longer, I’m guessing 40 minutes but definitely check often with that first batch to figure the optimal baking time.

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Chocolate Mochi Donuts

Delicious gluten-free chocolate donuts made with mochi, sweet rice flour!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian-American

Keyword donut, Gluten free, Mochi, mochi donut

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 32

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing pans 2 ounces
2 cups mochiko sweet rice flour (different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour") 320 grams
1 cup organic dark brown sugar (see note) 200 grams
¼ cup cocoa powder or sub in 1/4 cup ground black sesame seeds for a chocolate black sesame version! See note.
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 13.5-13.66- ounce can full-fat coconut milk see note
2 large eggs room temperature
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate 60-70%, melted and cooled
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional for garnish: flaky salt, black sesame seeds, shaved chocolate

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Generously grease the sides and top of two non-stick donut pans with soft butter. (Alternatively, you can bake these as muffins - the batter for 1 muffin is the same amount as for 1 donut).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet rice flour, dark brown sugar, cocoa powder or black sesame powder, baking powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Pour in the melted cooled chocolate and mix until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
Divide the batter among the 12 donut cavities of the prepared donut pans, filling each one all the way to the top edge.
Bake 32-35 minutes until the top is set and the donut gently springs back when poked with a finger. It might not spring back as much as a muffin: do not bake any longer than 35 minutes. The donuts crisp up as they cool and if you continue baking them, they'll get ROCK HARD on the outside. If you like your donuts a little gooey, bake 30-31 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Prepare the glaze just before you're ready to glaze the donuts because it will firm up as it sits.

Notes

This recipe is easily halved, makes 6 donuts and 1 muffin.

If making a full recipe, transfer the batter to a Ziploc bag and cut off a corner. Pipe the batter into the rings. Easy peasy.

For the chocolate black sesame version, sub in 1/4 cup ground black sesame seeds instead of cocoa powder. Grind up the black sesame seeds in a coffee grinder, small blender jar, or small food processor until fine like a powder. Balck sesame powder can be found in Asian Supermarkets also.

You can also bake these as muffins. The batter for 1 muffin is the same amount as for 1 donut – Bake for ~45 minutes, check to not overbake!

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Strawberry Icing or Glaze

Icing made with freeze-dried strawberries, tasty and vibrant

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian-American

Prep Time 5

Ingredients

2 cups powdered sugar divided
½ cup freeze dried strawberries*
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
dash salt
Sprinkles, chocolate curls, decorating sugars, Jimmies

Instructions

Combine powdered sugar, salt and freeze-dried strawberries in the bowl of a food processor. Process for a minute or two or until strawberries are powderized. Alternatively, use a motar and pestle or rolling pin to pulverize strawberries. Add powdered to sugar and continue with next step.
Pour mixture into a medium-size bowl. Add milk and stir until smooth, adding more milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to spread. If too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
The icing will set so make this wile the donuts are cooling.
Spread quickly on donuts and sprinkle with toppings before it sets.

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Chocolate Icing or Glaze for Donuts

Chocolate on Chocolate Donuts With Sprinkles

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Icing

Prep Time 10

Ingredients

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate 60-74%, melted and cooled
2-2½ tablespoons milk or coconut milk
1 cup powdered sugar sifted
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine melted and cooled chocolate with 1 tablespoon milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Add remaining milk, a splash at a time, just until it's smooth enough to glaze. It should be thick enough that when you swirl it, the swirl stays for a few seconds then collapses back into itself.
It will firm up as it sits, if it's too thin, let it sit for a few minutes and give it another stir. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk or zap it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up.
Vary the type of chocolate, milk, semi-sweet, bittersweet and don't forget the sprinkles

Notes

Recipe can be esily halved

Peanut Butter Mochi, that’s my Jam

By threejamigos | April 2, 2019 | Comments 7 comments

My cookbook addiction continues unabated. One of my new favorites is A Common Table by Cynthia Chen McTernan. It’s a beautiful cookbook filled with not only mouthwatering photographs of her food but wonderful stories about her family and friends. Her recipes are approachable and her writing inviting. In contrast to the cookbooks of yesteryear, today’s cookbooks, like A Common Table, breathe life, warmth, and a personal connection into each recipe. It makes me want to call my Mom, my kids, my aunties and uncles and say, “Hey, come on over we gonna cook, eat, and talk story”.

Have You Eaten Yet? (code for I ❤️ you)

This is not a cookbook that strives to teach one to cook, it’s more like a series of love letters, first and foremost to her family and friends, and then to all of us. Her soulful, homey food reflects her southern upbringing, her Chinese heritage, her hubby’s Hawaiian-Korean-Irish roots, and their lives together. These are recipes I imagine are passed down from grandmother to mother and mother to daughter. Each generation adding its own personal stamp.

Two Red Bowls is Cynthia’s blog, ground zero for her food and family tales. She has managed to juggle a toddler, a newborn, a blog, and a book, no small feat. Wow!

Onto her delicious food. Needing a gluten-free dessert to bring to a potluck, I instantly thought of the peanut butter mochi in her book. Mochi, made of glutinous rice flour, is chewy, dense, and all the craze right now. Imagine a marshmallow but dense, chewy, and only slightly sweet. Mallows on roids. To top it off, soooo easy to make. Literally, one bowl plus a wooden spoon. The addition of peanut butter brings a familiar flavor and texture to the mochi, a great intro for the uninitiated. Did I mention GLUTEN FREE?

The gold standard for rice flour and readily available is Koda Farms Blue Star Mochiko. Ground into a fine powder, it blends quickly and is easy to work with. Throw the flour, sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl. Stir, don’t worry about overmixing (no gluten), pour, and bake. The batter will resemble a thick, elastic pancake batter.

Plop the peanut butter evenly into the batter so that everyone gets a bite of peanut butter, and then it’s oven time. Midway through baking, sprinkle crushed peanuts on top. Next time I am thinking of using honey-roasted peanuts, to really accentuate the play on sweet and salty. The batter will puff while baking, not to worry, it will flatten as the mochi is cooling.

Once it has cooled a bit, dig in, warm mochi is yummy. I cut mine into squares and then further divided half of the squares into rectangular bars. Just so delicious, the combo of chewy mochi, pockets of oozy soft peanut butter, and the crunchy peanut topping-the trifecta of yum. It’s hard to resist and eat just one. It’s dense in texture and calories but so worth it!

I think you could make this milk-free by using coconut milk in place of milk. I have yet to try it. Andrea Nguyen, Asian cookbook author extraordinaire created a riff by adding black sesame paste, Black Sesame Peanut Butter Mochi, which looks delish, I am so going to make her version soon.

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5 from 2 votes

Peanut Butter Mochi

Gluten free and delicious. Made with sweet rice flour a dense, chewy, a totally addicting treat! A quick and easy recipe!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Asian-American

Keyword Mochi, peanut butter, sweet rice flour

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings 16 Servings

Ingredients

Filling

6 Tbsp Peanut butter Natural, creamy or chunky
2 Tbsp Powdered sugar

Cake

1-1/2 Cups Sweet rice flour 225gm
3/4 Cup Granulated sugar
1/8 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Whole milk
1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Roasted peanuts Or substitute honey roasted peanuts
1 Tbsp Brown sugar Optional, to be added to plain roasted peanuts,

Instructions

For the peanut butter filling, whisk together the peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, letting the paper go up the sides so you can easily lift the cake out later on.
In a medium bowl, combine the sweet rice flour, sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Don’t worry about overworking the batter when making the cake, sweet rice flour is GLUTEN FREE.
Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish. Used 2 small spoons or small teaspoon ice cream scoop to drop spoonfuls of the filling evenly across the batter, then pour the remaining batter over the filling. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
While the mochi is baking, place the peanuts in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. Remove the mochi cake from the oven, sprinkle of the crushed peanuts across the top. The cake maybe puffy so spread nuts as evenly as you can. The cake will fall as it cools.
Return the cake to the oven and bake until the center bounces back when pressed, an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool about 20 minutes before trying to lift the parchment paper to remove the cake from the pan.
Enjoy warm or at room temperature. The mochi slices cleanly when cool, but is delish warm.
Store in an airtight container and keep at room temp if cool, or refrigerate. Microwave pieces on high with 15-second blasts to refresh.

Muffin been the Mochi that Caught My Eye (Butter Mochi Muffins)

By threejamigos | February 21, 2019 | Comments 62 comments

Always searching for new and different treats, I came across an article that spotlighted Third Culture Bakery in Berkeley. The baker is an alum of Cal (Go Bears) who chose food over toxicology (good choice) and thus Mochi Muffins made with sweet rice flour were put on the map. Though I haven’t made it to Berkeley to try one, I found a couple of recipes online that sounded scrumptious, so it was off to the rices! Update: I just posted a new mochi muffin recipe, Mango Mochi Muffins made with mango tea and freeze-dried mangos! It’s small-batch baking, only 8 regular size delicious muffins.

My Sweet Rice, Oh My Rice

For the uninitiated, mochi (sweet rice flour) is a cornerstone of Asian treats. Sweet rice is PULVERIZED into flour to which water and flavorings are added. It ends up looking like the BLOB, really. It can be flavored, baked, steamed, fried and made into countless delicious treats both sweet and savory. During New Year’s, Japanese families gather to pound mochi in a tradition called Mochitsuki. Just for your viewing pleasure here is Mitsuo Nakatani, Japanese Mochi Master. Enjoy.

Traditional mochi starts with steamed rice and is pounded and shaped into sweet or savory rice cakes. Mochi muffins and Hawaiian Butter Mochi start with sweet rice flour, mixed with liquids, and baked. Since I don’t foresee any of us pounding mochi, let’s make muffins and Hawaiian Mochi. Infinitely easier and pretty darn tasty.

Back on the Muffin Trail

If you have ever had Manju from Shuei-Do Sweet Shop in Japantown in San Jose, or Butter Mochi from Hawaii and liked it…you’re going to love these. If you haven’t had mochi, this is a good introduction. Not quite as gooey as Manju and definitely not cakey like a muffin, it’s a delicious hybrid of the two. A touch of sweetness, crispy on the outside, dense and chewy on the inside, and crunchy from the generous sprinkle of sesame seeds on top. It’s different but delicious. If that wasn’t enough, they are GLUTEN-FREE. You’re welcome.

Rice, Rice, Baby

The most important item in the pic is the Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour by Koda Farms. This is the go-to brand. You can definitely find it in any Asian store (along with the sesame seeds), and if you’re lucky, at some of your larger local markets. Take a walk down the international/ethnic food aisle.

I found quite a few recipes for Mochi Muffins online and finally settled on one from a beautiful blog called Snixy Kitchen. Her batch made 12 muffins, which made her recipe the frontrunner as most made 24. As yummy as they are, what am I going to do with 24 muffins?!

The batter comes together in a snap: melted butter, coconut milk, egg, brown sugar, and rice flour. Stir together and pour into a muffin tin. Boom, done. My batter was thicker than some of the posts I’ve seen. This may account for the slight dome mine had. I also found a recipe from Saimin Noshrat in the NYT. I think I may try a couple of her tweaks the next time I make these. Trust me, there will be a next time. I will use light brown sugar, substitute evaporated milk for some of the coconut milk, and brown my butter. Not to worry, a full report will follow. Hmmm, can’t wait to make another batch.

The longer you leave these in the oven, the less gooey and more cake-like they will be. The first batch was baked for 60 minutes. I think I should have pulled them out sooner, I like gooey. Now I check at 40 minutes and pull them out around 45 minutes. To test them, use a knife to poke the center of a muffin. It should come out fairly clean with a bit of crumb.

More Mochi Madness

After making these muffins if you like the chewiness, definitely try the Hawaiian Butter Mochi Muffins, inspired by Aloha Kitchen by Alana Kysar. A little less flour and a bit more liquid kick up the gooey, buttery, lusciousness of these bites. Bake them in a muffin tin for crispy edges. I ADORE both of these muffins.

These are soooo good, a little more squishy, very buttery, topped with shredded coconut.

Also check out Peanut Butter Mochi from A Common Table by Cynthia Chen McTernan. Delish! LOVE, love, LOVE

If you would like to try traditional Japanese Mochi, here are my recommendations: Fugetsu-Do in Little Tokyo in LA, the oldest family-owned Japanese Shop in the US, Shuei Do Manju Shop in San Jose, and in my hometown of SF, Benkyodo Company in Japantown (now closed😢😢😢 ). All family-owned artisan shops.

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4.50 from 18 votes

Butter Mochi Muffins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian-American

Keyword coconut milk, Gluten free, mochi muffin

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Ingredients

1/4 cup (2 ounces )unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing pans sub brown-butter
2 cups (320 grams) mochiko sweet rice flour Koda Farms
1 cup (200 grams) organic dark brown sugar* light or dark brown sugar will work
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 tsp sea salt
1 13 ounce can full-fat coconut milk Sub evaporated milk, half to all
2 large eggs room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon molasses optional, added for flavor or use Golden Syrup or honey
1½ tablespoons each black and toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Grease the sides and top of a 12-cup muffin tin well with soft butter.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet rice flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla, and molasses.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup all the way to the top.
Sprinkle the tops with black and white sesame seeds.
Bake 45-50 minutes until the top is brown and crispy and the muffin springs back when poked with a finger. Bake for less time. for muffins that are chewier and less cakey. Muffins are done when a skewer comes out relatively clean and the tops are brown.
Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Can be frozen and thawed at room temp.

Notes

Organic dark brown sugar is richer and more caramel-y than conventional, but you can use regular brown sugar.

Any muffin tin will do, but for ultimate crispy exterior, use a dark non-stick muffin tin.

If using a light muffin tin, you may have to bake the muffins a little bit longer.

If keeping them for longer, they'll lose their crispiness after a day or two in storage, put them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp again before eating.