Sesame Mochi
The Japanese confection known as daifuku mochi are small, smooth rice cakes or balls stuffed with a sweet filling. Mochi are made with mochiko, a flour made from ground sweet glutinous rice called mochigome. For daifuku mochi, the rice is pounded into paste, stuffed with a filling (usually sweet red bean paste) and molded into various shapes. They are often coated in a fine layer of cornstarch, potato starch, or confectioners’ sugar to keep them from sticking. Note: Glutinous rice flour, also called mochiko, is available at Asian markets or online.
Yields 12 Mochi
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups glutinous rice flour (mochiko) (see headnote)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 1/4 cups almond milk
- 1/3 cup sesame paste
- 1/3 cup cooked white beans
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- Coconut flour or finely ground unsweetened coconut, for dusting
Instructions
-
In a heatproof bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in the almond milk and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes, then uncover and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Cut into twelve pieces.
-
In a food processor, combine the sesame paste, white beans, confectioners’ sugar, and sesame seeds and mix well. Set aside.
-
Dust your hands with coconut flour, then flatten each piece of mochi into a small disk. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sesame mixture in center of each piece of mochi. Pinch closed to seal, then lightly roll it into a ball, using both palms. Repeat with the remaining mochi and filling.
-
Pour about 1/2 cup of coconut flour into a shallow bowl. Roll the balls in the coconut flour to keep the mochi from sticking. Transfer to a plate and serve. Mochi will keep for up to 2 days at room temperature. If not using right away, they will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Do not refrigerate, or they will become hard.
Recipe Notes
This recipe is from Vegan Without Borders © Robin Robertson, 2014, Andrews McMeel Publishing, photo by Sara Remington.