A staple dessert in many Asian cultures, mochi is delicious and surprisingly simple to make! Only consisting of three main ingredients — glutinous rice flour, water and sugar — this delightfully chewy dough is perfect for all occasions ranging anywhere from a quick afternoon snack to a fancy after-dinner dessert. This recipe is a twist on the classic red bean mochi dessert, adding a dimension of flavor by substituting cornstarch for chocolate powder.
Christine Tu / Daily Nexus
Ingredients (for 16 pieces):
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Red bean paste
Christine Tu / Daily Nexus
Directions:
- Combine glutinous rice flour, water and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl and mix well until no lumps remain.
- Using a wet rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and microwave for 1 minute.
- Take the bowl out of the microwave and mix well with a wet rubber spatula to ensure that the mixture cooks evenly throughout.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 twice more, for a total of 3 minutes in the microwave or until no liquids remain.
- Generously spread cocoa powder across a flat work surface and rolling pin to keep the mochi from sticking.
- Scrape mochi from the bowl onto the work surface and roll into a square shape.
- Cover with a clean paper towel and rest for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- After the mochi is cooled, use a butter knife and cut the sheet into 16 smaller squares.
- Take a square, spoon a small amount of red bean paste in the middle and fold corners to the center, pinching the edges shut.
- Repeat for the rest of the squares.
This recipe takes about 40 minutes in total (including the 30 minutes of rest time) and is fairly easy overall. You can also jazz it up by using different fillings such as chocolate, small scoops of ice cream or even cubes of mango. Additionally, you could substitute cocoa powder with matcha powder, powdered sugar or black sesame powder. I’ll definitely be making this recipe again to try the different combinations of mochi fillings!
