Pumpkin Butter Mochi

My trip over to Little Tokyo a few weeks back inspired this Pumpkin Butter Mochi recipe.  As the leaves are turning and fall is officially in full swing, this sweet rice cake pairs a traditional Japanese tea snack with a classic autumn fruit…pumpkin!

I’ve chosen to use pumpkin butter in this recipe, but a spiced canned pumpkin pie filling will work just as well.  Pumpkin butter is a bit thinner and more acidic than pumpkin pie filling, although both typically have the same spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) mixed in.  Because pumpkin butter has more acidic liquids like lemon or apple juice added in, it’s less starchy and less sweet than its counterpart.  I actually find the “fruit butter” idea confusing, because fruit butters like pumpkin butter generally don’t contain fat.

Enjoy these pumpkin butter mochi with a cup of clean, grassy sencha or a toasty cup of houjicha–a roasted green tea.  It’s really important not to overbrew Japanese green tea, so 2-3 minutes at 175 degrees is ideal.  Overbrewing green tea will result in a bitter, harsh tasting liquor, so if you enjoy green teas it’s a good idea to invest in a temperature controlled electric kettle or even just an instant thermometer.  You’ll be able to keep those subtle, umami notes of Japanese green teas that will pair harmoniously with these chewy, lightly sweet pumpkin butter mochi.

Pumpkin Butter Mochi

Makes 12 cakes.

Ingredients:

8 oz sweet rice flour (mochiko)

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

2/3 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/3 cup pumpkin butter or spiced pumpkin purée

katakuriko (potato starch) or cornstarch

non-stick spray

Directions:

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla, and mix rigorously with a spoon or wire whisk until the mixture is homogenous.

2.)  Give the muffin pan a thorough, even coating of non-stick spray.  Spoon 1 1/2 Tbsp of the mochi batter into each cavity, and place in oven to bake for 10 minutes.

3.)  After 10 minutes, remove the muffin pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  Use the back of a teaspoon or other utensil to indent a small, shallow “ditch” into each of the mochi cakes (I used the handle of a jam spreader).

4.)  Spoon 1 tsp of pumpkin butter or spiced pumpkin purée into each shallow mochi cake “ditch,” then cover the filling with 1 Tablespoon of the remaining mochi batter.  Spoon this remaining batter on carefully so that the pumpkin butter or purée is fully covered.

5.)  Bake the filled mochi cakes in the oven for an additional 15 minutes or until cakes are very slightly puffed and surface is dry to the touch.  Let mochi cakes cool completely in pan before removing.

6.)  After cooled and removed from the pan, generously coat the mochi with katakuriko or cornstarch on a dry work surface, then use a wire mesh sieve to shake excess starch off of the cakes.  Mochi cakes are best eaten within a day or two of baking them.  You can store them in the fridge for a slightly longer shelf life, but this will result in a slightly stiffer textured mochi cake.

Equipment:

12 cavity standard non-stick muffin or tart pan

wire mesh sieve

rounded teaspoon measure or other similar utensil

Step-By-Step:

Use a lightened coconut milk for a lighter textured mochi cake

Mix the rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla together

You will get a thinned pancake batter consistency

After the first 10 minute bake you will see the edges slightly part from the muffin tin, but the centers won’t be fully set yet

Create some “ditches”

1 tsp of pumpkin butter only…resist the temptation to over-fill

Cover the filling with the mochi batter completely for a fully sealed mochi cake

Potato starch is like cornstarch and equally messy

Shake off the excess

Autumn, Japanese style.

Love these Japanese mochi cakes?  Check out my post on Japanese tea and wagashi here.

Japanese Tea & Wagashi, A Match Made in Little Tokyo

A few weeks ago I made my way over to the Japanese American Museum in Little Tokyo for the Los Angeles International Tea Festival.  In its third year, the festival showcases the best and most unique finds in LA’s ever-growing tea scene.  There were a host of vendors this year, including the Chado Tea Room, Ito En, and Harney and Sons.  The festival is a great place to learn about brewing tea, cooking with tea, tea and health, and even how tea is grown.  It’s also a great place to learn more about tea in the context of Asian and Japanese culture.  You can even watch Chanoyu in practice—the ritualistic and fascinating art of the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Tea, modern in practice and steeped in Asian tradition

These gift shop finds at the Japanese American Museum make me happy

You can find these “Generational Teas” at the Japanese American Museum in LA.  Each tea blend honors a specific generation of Japanese Americans, from Issei (1st generation) to Gosei (5th generation)

On my way out of the tea festival, I decided to do a some shopping (and food-seeking) on 1st Street and walked straight over to Fugetsu-Do, a Japanese confectionary that specializes in wagashi.  This unassuming, quaint shop has stood the test of time.  In fact, it’s considered the oldest shop in LA’s Little Tokyo.

Wagashi are sweet, dense artful little Japanese cakes created specifically to be paired with Japanese green teas.  These creations are rarely served as desserts in Japan.  Instead, they are enjoyed as a light snack or refreshment or during a tea ceremony.  Literally translated, “wa” refers to “Japan” and “gashi” refers “sweets.”  Many wagashi reflect natural themes like birds, plants, and fruits, taking inspiration from classical poetry or art. These beautiful small cakes are typically made with ingredients like rice flour, agar-agar, or bean paste, and rarely contain dairy.

An unassuming storefront on 1st Street in Little Tokyo

Artfully crafted wagashi in many shapes and colors

Since 1903 this historic little shop has made all kinds of wagashi like mochi (japanese rice cake), manju (flour cakes with sweet red bean paste), and dango (little sweet rice ball dumplings).  Even after being sent to internment camps during WWII after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the owners of this family owned business–the Kito Family–ventured back to Los Angeles to reestablish their business.

Fugetsu-Do is a must-go if you are ever passing through Little Tokyo.  Like a sip of tea, a bite of one of these beauties is like a step back in time.  The shop owner, Brian Kito, is always resisting the idea of renovating the store as he strives to preserve the shop’s historic charm and timeless Japanese style.  Christmas and New Year’s are busy times for Fugetsu-Do, so if you want to try some of their beautiful and unique treats, fall might be just the time to do that!

And if you want to make your own mochi at home, here is my recipe for Pumpkin Butter Mochi, a recipe that pays homage to the seasonal wagashi of autumn.