Mochitsuki: 60 Sweet and Savory Mochi Recipes, written by Kristen Morita, celebrates all things mochi with a vibrant collection of traditional and innovative modern creations alongside beautiful photography and memories. A few highlights include Black Sesame Daifuku, Lemon Butter Mochi, Cheesy Inari Mochi, Sakura Mochi, and Pandan Mochi Muffins. I will also be sharing her recipe for Mochi Waffles at the end of the post.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Chronicle Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Kristen Morita
Kristen Morita is a fourth-generation Chinese Japanese American born and raised in Southern California. She created her blog, Mochi Mommy, in 2019 as a way to share recipes inspired by her heritage.
This is Kristen’s debut cookbook. She is currently based in Seattle with her family.
Mochitsuki
Kristen begins Mochitsuki with a short introduction before going over a few helpful guides and notes to get started.
For those new to working with Japanese ingredients and glutinous rice flours, she has put together a list with descriptions and even a QR code for locating online resources.
Chapters are divided according to style of mochi: Stuffed Mochi, Hawai’i-Style Mochi, Kirimochi, Seasonal Mochi and More, and Modern Mochi. The contents page has a list of included recipes with page number for easy reference.
The photography is provided by Charity Burggraaf with illustrations by Asako Masunouchi. Every single recipe is paired with at least one full-page, vibrant photo of the finished dish.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English or Romanized Japanese. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, yield, prep/bake/total time, helpful tips, ingredient notes, and variations.
Mochi Waffles
To pair with the review, we made Kristen’s recipe for Mochi Waffles! With the use of mochiko instead of all-purpose flour, these quick and easy waffles have crisp edges with a chewy center perfect for pairing with a variety of toppings. They are also gluten-free!
Simply whisk together the mochiko, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla to create a thick, smooth batter. Transfer the batter to a greased waffle iron and cook until lightly golden. Repeat with the remaining batter to create about 8 small or 4 larger waffles.
We enjoyed the Mochi Waffles warm with whipped cream, fresh berries, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Another delicious option is red bean paste and butter.
For the pandan mochi waffle variation, I leaned into the Southeast Asian flavors a bit and used a couple of them as the base for Kaya Toast with Kaya, butter, and barely set egg with a splash of dark soy sauce.
Don’t feel like waffles or don’t have a waffle iron? Kristen also has a recipe for Mochi Pancakes.
Notable Ingredients
Mochiko is a Japanese glutinous rice flour made from sweet sticky rice. It can be found in the international or gluten-free section of some larger American grocery stores and in markets with Japanese ingredients.
While living in Los Angeles, I would get it at Mitsuwa or Tokyo Central in Torrance. For those in Northern Virginia, I usually find it at Wegmans or Lotte Plaza Market in Chantilly.
For a pandan variation, swap the vanilla for an equal amount of pandan extract. Another option for green waffles is whisking in 1 tablespoon matcha powder. For an ube variation, swap for ube extract.
For those in Northern Virginia, I was also able to find both ube and pandan extract at Lotte Plaza Market in Chantilly.
A Few Mochi Waffle Tips
The batter will be thick after mixing everything together. Make sure there are no streaks of mochiko remaining.
The amount of waffles created will depend on the type of waffle iron. Kristen recommends a Belgian waffle maker. I used a miniature round one.
I was easily able to transfer 1/3 cup portions of the batter to the mini waffle maker using an ice cream scoop.
Grease the waffle iron with cooking spray or by brushing with vegetable oil as needed between batches to prevent sticking and help create that golden, crispy exterior.
If you want to serve all the waffles warm at once, place the cooked waffles on a baking sheet in a 250˚F (120˚C) oven until the remaining batter finishes cooking.
After cooling to room temperature, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to six days. Reheat briefly in the microwave or toaster.
More Mochi
We also made Cookie Dough Daifuku, Pumpkin Butter Mochi, Isobeyaki, and Microwave Milk Mochi.
My daughter was immediately drawn to the Cookie Dough Daifuku (she also has her eye on the chocolate mint) and made them completely on her own. This daifuku has a chewy gyuhi base that comes together using the microwave. It is filled with an almond flour eggless cookie dough center to create quite the exciting combination.
The Pumpkin Butter Mochi brings the flavors of pumpkin pie to Hawaiian butter mochi for a comforting seasonal treat perfect for feeding a crowd (and making ahead of time). An entire box of mochiko is combined with pumpkin pie spice, pureed pumpkin, condensed milk, evaporated milk and butter to form a thick batter, then baked until set.
Isobeyaki is grilled mochi with a soy sauce coating and roasted seaweed wrap. It is one of my favorites for a quick snack using kirimochi (if kirimochi is unavailable, you can also use the recipe for Fresh Mochi in the book) and overall only takes about 10 minutes to assemble. This is a base recipe, but Kristen goes even further over the next couple of pages with an assortment of sweet and savory topping options.
After making the other recipes, I only had about 1/4 cup (40 grams) mochiko leftover and it was the exact amount needed to put together the Microwave Milk Mochi. Simply mix the mochiko with milk (this will help it stay soft), and sugar before microwaving until cooked through. The resulting creamy texture was fantastic paired with kinako and kuromitsu (I used store-bought kuromitsu, but there is a recipe for homemade kuromitsu/brown sugar syrup in the book).
Mochitsuki is an incredible pick for those interested in using mochiko and other glutinous rice flours/ingredients in a variety of sweet and savory ways. The recipes have been developed for the home cook and range from quick and easy snacks to holiday favorites and delicate desserts. Kristen also notes whether the recipe is gluten-free and/or vegan.
As long as you have access to Mochiko, many of the ingredients are becoming more available in larger American grocery stores. Having a Japanese market nearby will be helpful in locating items such as dried adzuki beans, white bean paste, black sesame paste, purple sweet potato, shiratamako, kirimochi, roasted seaweed, mirin, shishito, pre-seasoned inari age pouches, mentaiko, daikon, pickled sakura leaves, dangoko, warabimochiko, mochikome, yuzu juice, Substitutions and online sources are provided when possible.
Mochi Waffles Recipe
Excerpt from Mochitsuki
Mochi Waffles
Ingredients
- cooking spray for coating
- 1 1/2 cups (227 grams) mochiko
- 1/3 cup (65 grams) sugar I used granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract or pandan extract or ube extract
Instructions
- Coat a Belgian waffle maker with cooking spray and preheat according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mochiko, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the eggs, melted butter, milk, and vanilla and mix until well combined, scraping the bowl to ensure no dry lumps of mochiko remain.
- Scoop the waffle batter into the prepared waffle maker, using about 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) for small waffles or 2/3 cup (160 milliliters) for one large waffle.
- Close the lid to the waffle maker and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the waffles are browned. Repeat with the remaining waffle batter.
- Add toppings of choice- maple syrup, whipped cream, fresh fruit, or red bean paste- and serve immediately.
- Leftovers can be stored, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the toaster.
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