Hawaiian Butter Mochi



 I haven't made homemade mochi in years, but recently I was fumbling through my pantry and saw a box of mochiko laying around. The sight of the box triggered my memory of a buttery mochi someone's mom had made for a potluck. The mochi was actually steamed in a rice cooker, and had layers of sweet adzuki paste in between. I had pestered the person for his mom's steamed mochi recipe, but he kept forgetting to ask, so eventually I gave up. The box of mochiko also reminded me of a baked buttery coconut mochi I had many more years back, and it's been so long I can't tell you who made it or where it came from, just that it was good! It's amazing how good food memories just stick with me (I have the hardest time remembering people's birthdays...or sometimes their names.), and how the sight of one food item (box of mochiko in this case) can trigger so many memories of delicious mochis eaten in the past. After some research online, I decided to give this recipe a try, with some modifications. The mochi turned out so good that I had to bake another batch two days later! The texture was soft and chewy, and the addition of the thick coconut cream gives the mochi a rich coconut-ty flavor which is sure to please coconut lovers.

 

INGREDIENTS
  • 16 oz (453g) Mochiko Flour
  • 1/2 Cup unsalted butter, plus a little extra for greasing the pan
  • 1.5 Cups of Evaporated Milk
  • 1.5 Cups Thick Coconut Cream - I used Trader Joe's
  • 2 Cups (400g) Granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 Cup sweetened coconut flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt 1/2C butter in the microwave (about 1-2 minute).
  2. Grease a 9x13 pan thoroughly with butter
  3. Combine the mochiko flour, melted butter, evaporated milk, coconut cream, granulated sugar, baking powder, and eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk until everything is incorporated. The batter will be thick and viscous.
  4. Pour the batter into the pre-greased pan and sprinkle the coconut flakes evenly over the top.
  5. Bake at 350F for 60 minutes.
  6. Optional step (this gives the mochi a nice golden color on the top): Turn on the oven to broil setting and broil for 2-3 minutes until the tops are golden. DO NOT, at any point during the broiling, even think about walking away from the oven (just DON'T do it, unless you want burnt mochi). I keep the oven door open for this step and squat in front of the mochi with two oven mitts one on each hand, ready to snatch it out as soon as the color is just right.
  7. Allow to cool, cut into even pieces and serve! 
I left the mochi at room temperature in a sealed container and 3 days later it was still good. Putting the mochi in the fridge may cause it to harden, and you might be able to revive it with a brief microwave, but I haven't tried. 



(LEFT to RIGHT) Grease baking pan with butter or spray. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. The batter will be very thick.

Transfer all the batter to the greased pan and sprinkle dried coconut flakes evenly over the top.
Bake at 350F for 60 minutes. Broil for 2-3 minutes after the 60 minutes (you can just turn the broil function on in the oven right away, no need to "preheat") until the top gets a nice, golden color as picture. Allow to cool, cut into squares and serve!


I cut mine into 12 squares, topped with more coconut flakes, and placed each mochi in a cupcake liner for easy serving at potlucks!
The coconut mochi pairs well with strawberries (maybe even whipped cream!)


 Note: The nutritional fact is calculated based on half the recipe. So if you made the entire recipe and cut the mochi into 12 pieces, 1 serving would equal 2 pieces.

Comments

Popular Posts