Cocoa Mochi

Okay, so if you’re a regular follower, you’ll notice a few changes. I decided to completely overhaul the concept of my blog and instead of random thoughts on just about anything and everything, I would focus on my passion for food and writing. So, I thought, why not combine the two?

Thus, my blog will now concentrate on the recipes and restaurants that traverse my life, travels and everyday interests. My blog will primarily feature recipes from my cookbook collection along with a new restaurant I may have discovered or some fantastic cuisine I may have sampled during my travels interspersed here and there. And since I completely overhauled the concept, I decided to redesign the site as well.

So, whether you’re looking for a dish to make or a new restaurant to try, enjoy!

My “first” entry will be a recipe for the daifukumochi, which literally means great luck (hopefully, I won’t need any luck getting more followers. Hint! Hint! Insert shameless plug here. Spread the word!). Mochi is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with a sweet filling; most commonly sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. There are many varieties of mochi but one of my favorites is cocoa mochi.

COCOA MOCHI

Ingredients
2 cups Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour
1-3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (preferably Ghirardelli)
1 tablespoon baking soda

1 large (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 large can coconut milk
2 eggs
¼ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix Mochiko sweet rice flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa and baking soda. Add evaporated milk, coconut milk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Use electric mixer and mix on low speed until well blended. Do not overbeat.

Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake for approximately 1 hour and 6 minutes. (Poke the center of the mochi with a clean toothpick and if it comes out clean, mochi is done and you may take out of the oven.)

Trim the burnt sides and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired.