Butter Mochi with Coconut

Mochi.

This mochi recipe is really simple!

The flavor is similar to custard, but it's dense, chewy and sticky like mochi.

And the coconut?

Yum!

I'm going to make this for the next party at my friend Sue's house.

I think they'll like it!

This recipe is adapted from Favorite Island Cookery, Book III, from Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin.

The cookbook was published in 1979, I don't know if they're still available.

There are some used copies online at Amazon.com, but they're expensive.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

4 eggs

3 cups sugar

4 cups mochi flour (you will need two boxes of mochiko)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 can coconut milk (12 oz.) - add water to make 2 cups

1 can (13 oz.) evaporated milk - add water to make 2 cups

2 teaspoons vanilla

optional:

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare your pan with butter and flour.

I made a small square pan of mochi and also some mini cupcakes.

The batter will fill 2 of these square baking pans.

After buttering the baking pan, add a small amount of mochiko and distribute it evenly.

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs with an electric mixer.

Or by hand.

Add the mochiko and baking powder, along with the coconut milk and evaporated milk.

Combine the ingredients a little with a spatula so the mixture doesn't splash out of the bowl when you turn the beater on.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

1 teaspoon coconut extract.

This is what I used.

It's imitation coconut extract.

I'm going to put real coconut extract, on my list of things to buy.

Then add the shredded sweetened coconut.

Pour half the batter into the pan.

And pop it into the oven, 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, then take the mochi out of the oven and sprinkle a cup of shredded sweetened coconut on top.

You can put the shredded coconut on top from the beginning of the baking time, just be sure to watch it so the coconut doesn't burn.

I made some mini cupcakes too.

Bake them at 325 degrees F for about 15 minutes, then sprinkle some coconut on top, and bake for 15 minutes more.

When the coconut gets a little brown, they're done.

Total baking time is about 1 hour - 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Keep watch so the coconut topping doesn't burn.

Cut into small-ish squares.

If you don't want it quite so mochi-like in its denseness or chewiness, you can use half mochiko and half flour.

It's good like that, too.

Itadakimasu!

***

This is my niece, Leslie.

You may remember her from yesterday's post.

Leslie's very artistic.

I love this photo of her.

I didn't take it, but wish I did--I think it's lovely.

Not only is she a creative cupcake maker, she's also an artist.

This is a self-portrait that she drew a few years ago in high school.

She also sews and designs clothing.

This is a photo of her with her models after a fashion show in college.

She designed a collection around the theme of the game of Clue.

Leslie is always game to model my boutique items.

I appreciate her good nature and willingness to help me.

Thanks, Leslie!

I'm excited to see her this summer and catch up with what she's been doing since we saw one another last!

***

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

4 eggs

3 cups sugar

4 cups mochi flour (you will need two boxes of mochiko)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 can coconut milk (12 oz.) - add water to make 2 cups

1 can (13 oz.) evaporated milk - add water to make 2 cups

2 teaspoons vanilla

optional:

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Butter and flour a 9 x 13 inch, 2 - 9 x 9 inch baking pans or cupcake tins.

Cream together butter, eggs and sugar.

Add mochiko, baking powder coconut milk and evaporated milk. Mix well.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and (optional) 1 teaspoon coconut extract, as well as 1 cup shredded coconut. Top with more shredded coconut.

Pour mixture into pan(s). Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes, being careful coconut topping does not burn. 

Fugetsu-Do Japanese Sweet Shop

Fugetsu-Do is a Japanese sweet shop in LA's Little Tokyo that has been family owned and operated since 1903.

I've eaten Fugetsu-Do mochigashi--the traditional Japanese sweets made from mochi--my whole life.

I wrote about the store when my friends and I made Peanut Butter & Jam Mochi.

I think the mochigashi from Fugetsu-Do is worth taking a closer look at, so I'm going to show you some of the different kinds of manju.

Manju is another name for these Japanese sweets.

I think all Japanese Americans call one piece of manju "The Pink One", at least all Japanese Americans that I know.

This is my Pink One.

I've always thought this one is the prettiest.

It's got a sweet white bean paste on the inside.

When I hold it in my hand just before I take my first bite, I am aware of how soft and smooth the manju is, and take a second or two to savor the anticipation of that first bite.

Seriously!

I kid you not.

The piece in the center is baked, different from the others--they're made of soft mochi.

The baked ones are a little drier, perfect with a cup of ocha--tea.

This is what it looks like on the inside, filled with sweet azuki bean paste.

Here's a few more, the yellow one on the left is really soft.

You can order the mochigashi from Fugetsu-Do online here.

When I was a little girl, and we'd open a box of mochigashi from Fugetsu-Do, it was such a difficult decision--which one to pick?

Especially when your brothers and cousins are scrambling for manju too, and might pick the one you want.

You understand, don't you?

Itadakimasu.

***

These are my cousins and me at Bachan's (my grandmother's) house in the 60's.

That's me in the back row on the left with the headband.

My cousin Brian is in the front row on the right.

Brian also loves dogs.

The Kitos always had smart family dogs. 

I don't know who trained them, but they were always really smart and could do a lot of fun tricks.

I remember when my brother Warren, Brian, and maybe my other cousin Tim, stayed overnight with Bachan when they were a few years older than Brian is in this picture.

They waited until Bachan went to bed and snuck into the kitchen where the phone was and called girls.

Until Bachan came in and caught them.

It makes me laugh to this day!

Brian took over Fugetsu-Do from his dad, Roy Kito, and is now the third generation proprietor of Fugetsu-Do.

Here's a video of Brian showing the process of making the multi-colored manju by hand.

And another making manju with sweet beans on the inside.

Brian is very active in the Little Tokyo community and beyond, with a generous, giving spirit.

But my fondest memories are of when we were little, running around Bachan's driveway, playing Last Tag after a fun family day together.

Fugetsu-Do
315 East First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 625-8595

www.fugetsu-do.com

No printable recipe.