Favourite Mochi Recipes: About Making Mochi

By Elizabeth Lang

Having 1 or 2 favourite mochi recipes can make any person contented. For those that won't know, mochi is a Asian rice cake. To form it, cooks use a glutinous rice that is pounded and formed into a paste. The paste is then molded into numerous shapes. It is a favorite at the Japanese New Year celebration, though it is eaten throughout the year as well. In some areas of the world, it is a favorite snack, especially in areas like Hawaii and South Korea.

Using It In Pastry

There are numerous methods to use this tasty treat. One of the most popular ways is in Japanese style sweets. Wagashi and mochigashi are 2 of the preferred choices. One favorite treat is named daifuku. A little piece of mochi is full of a sweet red bean paste or a white bean paste. For a simpler version, stuff the mochi with an entire, ripe strawberry.

Soups

Soup is an alternate way the Japanese use mochi. In one form, azuki bean soup has mochi added to it, making oshiruko. Or, a soup of mochi, taro, carrot, kamabokko and honeywort are mixed together and stewed.

A Sample Recipe

For those looking for a recipe you can make at any time, consider this version. It is the best way to use mochi to make something full of flavour.

Using a blender, you must mix, four cups of mochi flour and the following ingredients. You'll find this flour in an Asian market or some food shop stores.

- 2 t baking powder
- 2 c granulated sugar (you can substitue with Splenda for a healtheir version)
- 4 c full-fat milk (you need to use 2 p.c)
- 4 entire eggs
- 2 t vanilla extract
- 8 T of butter, melted

After mixing well, tip the mixture into a 9 by 13 pan. Then, bake it a pre-heated, 325 F oven for an hour and a half. This produces a solid pastry like a bread. Cut it into cubes and serve all alone. A hint of ground sugar on top adds a little bit of decoration to the mochi. You are able to add to the recipe, too. Some like to add coconut milk (a tiny can) to the mixture. Top it with strawberry topping, too.

Using Mochi in Ice Cream

A fun way to delight in this flavorsome food is to make an ice cream with it. This is perhaps the most simple of the recipes. All you need to do is to take a scoop of very cold ice cream and wrap mochi around it. Freeze again. Some restaurants and specialty food stores in the United States sell it premade. This is how to make ice cream with a mochi maker.

While it could seem like a blindingly simple product to work with, realize that mochi has an especially distinct flavor. It adds a lot of texture and flavor to any food you add it to. Try it any of these mochi recipes to give your folks a taste of something Japanese that is very succulent.

About the Author:

Elizabeth Lang makes mochi with her mochi maker and discusses mochi on her site that provides evaluations of thebest mochi maker.