Yomogi Mochi

Name: Yomogi Mochi
Total time: 2400 s
Yield: Serves 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: [For the Mochi Dough]; 2 cups Japanese sweet rice flour (about 240 grams); 1/2 cup potato starch (about 60 grams); 1 tablespoon mugwort powder (about 10 grams); 1 cup sugar (about 200 grams); 1 2/3 cups water (about 400 ml); [For the Filling]; 1 3/4 cups sweetened red beans (about 400 grams); 1/3 cup peanut butter (about 100 grams); [For the Coating]; as needed Roasted soybean flour (kinako),; as needed Brown sugar syrup,

凱茜媽咪の廚房 @Kathy_kitchen

In my childhood memories, my family didn’t eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Instead, my aunt would make soft, chewy mochi, coated or filled with sweet peanut powder. Mochi can be creative and versatile. Yomogi (Japanese mugwort) is the same as Taiwanese mugwort, which is also used in acupuncture moxibustion. This recipe uses processed, dried mugwort powder. By combining mugwort and sweet rice flour, you get a chewy mochi skin that can be filled and shaped as you like—a family favorite.

凱茜媽咪の廚房 @Kathy_kitchen

Saved

Ingredients

40 minutes

Serves 4 servings

[For the Mochi Dough]
2 cupsJapanese sweet rice flour (about 240 grams)
1/2 cuppotato starch (about 60 grams)
1 tablespoonmugwort powder (about 10 grams)
1 cupsugar (about 200 grams)
1 2/3 cupswater (about 400 ml)
[For the Filling]
1 3/4 cupssweetened red beans (about 400 grams)
1/3 cuppeanut butter (about 100 grams)
[For the Coating]
as neededRoasted soybean flour (kinako),
as neededBrown sugar syrup,

Saved

Steps

40 minutes

1

Prepare your ingredients: Japanese sweet rice flour, potato starch, mugwort powder, sugar, soybean flour, and fillings. The main fillings are sweetened red bean paste and peanut butter, but you can also use sesame paste. Steps 3-9 cover the basic mochi method; the rest are variations. Give it a try!
2

Using Japanese sweet rice flour helps keep the mochi soft and chewy, even after refrigeration.
3

Weigh and sift the flours, then add the mugwort powder. Mix the sugar with the flours, then gradually add water, stirring until smooth.
4

Pour the batter into a steaming tray. Add 1 cup of water to the outer pot of a rice cooker and steam the batter.
5

When the rice cooker switches off, test the dough with a skewer. If it comes out clean with no white batter sticking, it's done.
6

Prepare a zip-top bag and add a little vegetable oil. Spread the oil evenly inside the bag.
7

Once the dough is fully cooked (no white spots remain), transfer the mochi dough into the oiled bag.
8

Knead the mochi dough vigorously in the bag, as if washing clothes.
9

Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into two pieces: one-third and two-thirds.
10

Place the larger piece (two-thirds) between two sheets of parchment paper.
11

Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough.
12

Roll it out into a large, thin sheet about 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) thick.
13

If the dough is sticky, wear gloves lightly coated with vegetable oil, or simply rub oil on your hands.
14

Prepare the sweetened red bean paste and use a small spoon to portion it into small pieces.
15

Fold the mochi sheet in half, fill the center with red bean paste, and shape it like a dorayaki. Sprinkle some soybean flour on top for decoration.
16

For round mochi, roll into balls and coat with soybean flour for a plump look.
17

You can also flatten the round balls for a different appearance.
18

Prepare the peanut butter (you can make your own by blending unsalted peanuts with butter until smooth).
19

Take the smaller piece (one-third) of dough, place it in the oiled zip-top bag, and roll it into a thin sheet. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter, roll it up, and slice gently into pieces.
20

These rolled mochi look like 'Rolling Donkey' (a traditional sweet) and are beautiful to serve.
21

[Tips]
* If you can't find mugwort powder, you can substitute with green tea powder or matcha.
* Potato starch is made from potatoes; you can substitute with cornstarch.
* If you don't have Japanese sweet rice flour, you can use regular sweet rice flour mixed with cornstarch (for a white color).
* Store finished mochi in the refrigerator. Before eating, microwave for 20 seconds to soften for better texture.
* For the rolled mochi, you can drizzle with a little brown sugar syrup and sprinkle with soybean flour, similar to the 'Rolling Donkey' dessert.