I chose this to be one of the away-from-home-super-short-post collection for a reason – I don’t feel like explaining it. You either know and share a great passion, or even obsession in some cases for what this “mochi” is, or you don’t. No words I can say will convert you from one side to the other.
I can tell you that it’s a common treat in Asia (known by different names but mochi, which is Japanese, is the most commonly used), a chewy and glutenous dough made with glutinous/sticky rice loved by all generations. But let’s be honest, that doesn’t sound very compelling does it? Or that there’s a wide range of varieties consisting of different preparation methods, regional flavors, soft/firmness as a result of rice:water ratio, even the temperature it’s supposed to be eaten at, makes this particular type only a speck in the many. OH please, I’m boring you aren’t I?
Like I said. I can’t sell you on this. Then so be it. You are either the demographic who will excite in overwhelming jitters at nothing but just the name of OMG MOCHI BROWNIES!! Or you are not. So my fellow mochi-eaters. Jump. Get to work in the kitchen. You are welcome. The rest of you. Wait to be excited another day.
Servings: 9 squares
Because of the way this recipe is adapted, I will list most of the ingredients in grams. I did my best to translate some of them but for the rest, it would just result in super weird measurement in cups and tbsp, which isn’t any easier.
Ingredients:
- Mochi:
- 100 g of glutinous rice/sticky rice flour (I used Thai brand. There is also Japanese brand.) UPDATES: There are people who used Japanese glutinous rice flour and the result wasn’t ideal. Try sticking to Taiwanese or Thai brands if possible.
- 45 g (approx 3 tbsp )of sugar
- 145 g of water
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- plus 1 tbsp of all-purpose flour for dusting
- Brownie: adapted generously from Smitten Kitchen
- 113 g of semi-sweet/dark chocolate
- 150 g (10 1/2 tbsp) of unsalted butter
- 100 g (1/2 cup) of sugar
- 100 g (1/2 cup) of brown sugar
- 2 tbsp of coco powder
- 2 1/2 large eggs (or 3 medium ones)
- 1 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp of sea salt
- 107 g of flour
Make the mochi: Whisk glutinous rice flour, sugar and water in a microwave-proof bowl. Cover the bowl and microwave on high at one-minute interval, taking the bowl out after each time and stir with a wooden spoon until the entire mixture is cooked into a sticky and gooey dough, at least 4~5 min. The mixture would feel suspiciously wet and stringy, and you’d be tempted to think that it’s too wet. It is not. Now add the vegetable oil, stir and fold with the wooden spoon until it is completely incorporated into the dough. KEEP stirring and folding, and use a metal spoon to scrape down the dough that’s sticking to the side, until the dough starts to cool down and firm up in texture. It would get harder and harder to will this dough as it becomes more glutenous. But the more you work it, the chewier it will become. Once you have reached your muscle-limit, set the bowl aside uncovered and let the dough completely cool down.
Preheat the oven on 350ºF/175ºC. Line a 9″ x 9″ square mold with parchment paper.
Make the brownie: In another large microwave-proof bowl, add the semi-sweet/dark chocolate and unsalted butter. Microwave on high for 30 seconds each time and stir in between until the chocolate and butter has evenly melted. Add the sugar, brown sugar, coco powder, eggs, vanilla extract and sea salt. Whisk until evenly combined. Then add the flour and whisk until just combined.
Pour the brownie batter into the square mold and smooth with a spoon. Dust the mochi dough slightly with all-purpose flour (TRY NOT TO USE MORE THAN 1 TBSP or it will change the consistency of the brownie batter!) and distribute little chunks of it evenly on top of the brownie batter. Use a spoon to press and fold the mochi chunks into the batter until they are completely covered.
Bake in the oven for 25~30 min. A wooden skewer should come out with LOOSE AND MOIST crumbs. If it comes out clean then the brownie’s over-baked and will be cakey.
Let the brownie COMPLETELY cool down to room temperature before cutting. I like to leave it in the fridge for 45 min to speed it up.
To remove the parchment paper, I like to flip the brownie over and peel the parchment paper away. Cut into 9 equal squares and you will see chewy mochi distributed through out. This talks happiness to me…
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55 responses to “Mochi Brownie”
Hmmm, these look SO good! I never heard of mochi in a brownie but it looks delicious so I will have to try one of these days. Thanks for adding the RSS option to your site..I added it to my feed straight away and now I am sure I won’t miss any of your amazing recipes! I love your blog!
Caroline, thanks for letting me know about the RSS feed thing. I really appreciate it :)
The chewy brownie looks incredible, I feel my blood sugar level falling down as I scroll through the photos!
You had me sold on *mochi*! ^_^ This’ll definitely be the next brownie I make! You have no idea how much I love mochi and all things ‘glutinous rice cake’ :D
Samantha, there is another reader who used Japanese glutinous rice flour and the result wasn’t ideal. Try using Taiwanese or Thai brands if you are going to give it a try ;)
Oh, thanks a lot for the tip~ I’ll certainly look out for those :)
You had me at Mochi Brownie.
Two of my favorite things combined! YUMMY!
I’m just expressing my awe of you! Just found out about you thru the Saveur mention and I am truly smitten. can’t wait to soak it all up… you’re great!
Suzy, welcome! thank you :)
Looks awesome! Does this double well? I’d like to make a 13″x9″ pan. If there are any leftovers what’s the best way to store? Thanks in advance :D
CARISSA: Yeah I don’t see why not! I would store them wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, inside the fridge. The mochi will get firmer the longer it sits in the fridge, so warm up slightly in the microwave (but not too hot!) if you want to.
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this out.
I am so excited to try this, Mandy! I feel like we’re soul food sisters or something :)
Unfortunately, I’m only 17 so I’ll have to be super good these next couple days for her to take me to the grocery store to get these ingredients.
I just found your blog from Pinterest an hour ago and have stopped writing college applications and been addictively looking through all your posts since (and reading articles about you from various magazines/newspapers hehe). Your pictures are simply breathtaking (I love how you describe yourself as “not a photographer”) and your sassy humor makes me laugh.
One question though: Do you really have all this anger in you or is it just a facade? I can’t imagine you being an angry person, just as one with a nice strong interesting personality :)
Abby: hahaha thanks! Sorry for the late reply as I just saw this. For your question, I think most ppl would find me more opinionated than angry. The anger is.. Well, a symptom of my opinions.
That makes a lot more sense, actually! It is natural to feel angry about things you don’t think are right :)
Is it easy to find quality food/baking ingredients in Beijing? And is there any possibility that you guys can move back to NYC in the future? And how did you get interested in cooking/baking/blogging? Sorry so many questions!!
how long can you leave it in the refrigerator? I want to make it for a friend but won’t see her until the next day, and I don’t have time tomorrow to make it.
Steph: I’ve never tried it but I would imagine that it should be ok for a couple days… Instead of in the refrigerator, I would suggesting freezing them to keep the moisture/texture level the same.
can i make the mochi without a microwwave?
Venessa, you can also, I think, try cooking it on stovetop and stir constantly? But I don’t know how much it will stick to the pot though
So yummy, and mochi is quite fun to play with! :)
I’m curious what the result would be if you used the ‘raw’ mochi (before any microwaving) and incorporated it into the brownie mix entirely (adjusting the recipe as necessary)…….I feel an experiment coming on
Peter, there’s recently a similar recipe to what you’re talking about on food52.com!
http://food52.com/recipes/34383-chocolate-mochi-snack-cake
Is that the one you were thinking? If not do you mind pointing me in the right direction, food52 has, well….a lot of recipes :)
I think I’ll make that one anyway!
Yeah that’s it! I’ve never tried it but it looks promising.
yum!
Would I be able to use packaged brownie mix for this? Because then I don’t need to get so many ingredients and stuff.
Kala, I’ve never tried, but I can’t see why not :)
Hi These look wonderful !!
I was just wondering how long can I store them for in fridge or room temp?
Thanks
Christina, the mochi gets a bit wet as it sits in the brownie, so I would say a day at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate because mochi might get tough in low temperature. If you want, freeze them individually for a longer storage time :)
I just stumbled across your blog (via Buzzfeed) and loving it. As someone who used to live in Shanghai for 6 years I can appreciate all the yummy Asian things you posted, but this… is…GENIUS. I wish I could just post an animated GIF of Beyonce and the word ” bow down b*tches” to this. Keep up the good work.
This looks amazing!
How long can they be stored? in fridge? room temperature ?
Thanks
Christina, you can keep in room temperature for up to 2 days. The fridge will firm up the mochi and sometimes make them tough.
What happens if i use the box brownie mix.
Cheeryl, I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you ever tried, let me know if it works!
What a great idea. I had a box of gluten free brownie mix sitting next to a box of mochiko flour and Googled to see what I could make with the two. And ta dan. You’re a genius! Can’t wait to make it. Thank you.
Hi ! I’ve tried kind of a copycat of your recipe with blueberry mochi inside the brownie. It was fun but I was a bit disappointed by the taste of the mochi. I was expecting someting more sweet. I should have added more blueberry sauce to make them.
http://toquedechoc.com/2016/06/mochi-brownie-a-la-myrtille/
Okay, I know I am late to the party but I just discovered ladyandpups.com. So sue me! I have seen many mochi brownie recipes using the rice flour as the base of the brownies but this recipe was genius. Seriously. We have already gone through 2 pans and tomorrow I am making more. I am new to mochi also and this is brilliant.
This looks spectacular! Could you advise how I can make this without a microwave? Thanks!
Esther, you can cook the dough slowly over the stove and stir constantly.
Wow just WOW. I came across this pin a couple weeks ago. Just made it. IT’S DEELICIOUS! I can’t believe this was a thing from 2013 ?
Any suggestions on how to make this into a birthday cake? :) tried this recipe as a brownie and it was gone in seconds.
Shannon, lol bake it in a round pan?
LOL Straightforward and accurate advice. I love it. :) I’m considering that actually. Alternatively, do you think it would work to use a chocolate cake recipe and put mochi in between?
Shannon, I think the dense texture of brownie would work better than the airy crumbs of most chocolate cakes but you can be the judge :)
Hi Mandy, i don’t have a microwave so i plan to cook it slowly over the stove as you suggested above. but can i use a standmixer to mix it afterward to develop the chewiness? or is stiring my hand better? thanks!
Kate, def use a stand-mixer :)
thank you!
I saw your photo with caption, and of being of Japanese descent, I had to look. I’ve madeWmade chocolate mocha, had it with icecream, so why not in brownies! It looks wonderful! Just a short comment about Japanese rice flour: I’ve been told it has less moisture than the Korean or Thai brands. So I’m guessing if one is using the Japanese brand, to possibly adjust your recipe with a bit more water.
Diane
Hi Mandy, I seem to be struggling with the bake time. I baked it in a 8×8 pan in a 350 degree oven for 30min and the bottom is cooked but the layer above the mochi seems to be undercooked (the batter looks shiny and wet). I’m wondering if leaving it in for longer next time will make the bottom too dry. Would you have any recommendations?
Mandy- I made this recipe and added a pretzel crust and it was THE fucking. shit. It inspired me to compare your adjustment’s to Smitten Ktichen’s to try and figure out why it’s so amazing. I’m guessing it’s the addition of brown sugar that gives it the fudgier chew (as well as obviously the sticky rice Tangzhong…)? Anyway, this is the best brownie recipe I have ever found and it will live permanently in my recipe book. Bless your heart, sticky rice!
I cannot WAIT to try to make these (and your other mochi-related desserts, and ok fine, aaaallll your other recipes…). But we don’t have a microwave. Do you know how should I adapt the recipe then? Thanks! Also – have you tried sea-kayaking in HK? It’s a fun way to escape the city’s hustle and bustle.
Never mind – I just saw a question about and your reply about cooking it slowly in a pot over the stove!
Mandy, I am a gluten free baker and because of your mochi donuts and flakiest pastry recipes I have adapted a gluten free recipe for puff pastry and came up with a fantastic Apple strudel!!!! Thank you for sharing your talent and these recipes. I love your stories on Escapism Cooking
Could you share the recipe for the pretzel crust? Adding a salty crunchy layer sounds intriguing.
Hi! Would I be able to use pre-maid mini rainbow mochis? Thanks for the recipe!
SD, sorry for the late reply. I don’t know what a rainbow mochis is, lol.