Baked Coconut Custard Mochi

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Mochi is a sweet Japanese rice cake that is served traditionally for the Japanese New Year.  It’s laborious to make and almost an art form when done properly.  This recipe is not that kind of mochi.  It is a one pan mochi that mixes up quickly and gets baked in the oven.  So if you need a mochi fix, this recipe will do the trick.

The texture of this easy one pan mochi is dense, soft and chewy. The coconut, butter and vanilla are well balanced without any one ingredient taking center stage.

Don’t attempt to substitute the sweet rice flour with all-purpose flour or cornstarch – it will not turn out well.  Stick with the original ingredients and you will be delighted at the results.  This recipe is difficult to cut in half and it makes a lot, so plan on sharing.

Baked Coconut Custard Mochi

4          cups     mochiko sweet rice flour

3          Tbs.     baking powder

½         cup      butter, softened (1 stick)

4          large    eggs

3          cups     sugar

1          13oz.   coconut milk

1          12oz.   evaporated milk

3/4       cup      water

2          tsp.      vanilla

1-2       Tbs.     sesame seeds

Mix mochiko flour with baking powder and set aside.

Cream butter, eggs and sugar together.

Add coconut milk, evaporated milk, water and vanilla; mix well.

Add flour mixture; mix well.

Pour into a 9” X 13” pan that has been sprayed with pan coating.

Sprinkle sesame seeds over the batter

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool; cut into 6 rectangles and slice.

Wrap leftovers in plastic and store in the refrigerator.