Lemon Butter Mochi Bars
Before going into this recipe I must admit I didn’t know a lot about mochi,
outside of what you might find in a Western grocery store’s freezer section, a colorful dough always wrapped around a dollop of ice cream.
Mochi, a traditional Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice flour, has a stretchy, sticky feel and a chewy texture. Since its inception the treat has taken on many forms and flavors with different cultural influences. And Hawaiian mochi bars are one of those forms.
These Mochi lemon bars are reminiscent of lemon bars, like my lemon ginger lemon bars, in that they are brimming with lemony goodness. But be rest assured that these mochi bars have the signature soft and bouncy chew of any other mochi bar.
Lemon Butter Mochi Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) glutinous sweet rice flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup (57g or 4 Tbsps) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ (100g) cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup (153g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (226g) full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup (117g) evaporated milk
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- Zest of two medium lemons
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and place the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Prepare an 8x8 (or 9x9) pan by greasing with butter or cooking spray and laying down parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together glutinous rice flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together melted butter, sugar, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk until combined.
- Whisk in the sugar, eggs, the egg yolk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract until fully combined.
- Mix in dry ingredients until the mochi mixture is smooth.
- Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean and when pressed the bars are firm. It’s okay for browning on the top.
- Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool* for at least 1 hour before cutting into desired pieces*
Notes
- As the mochi bars cool, the top might slightly deflate and become shiny. This is normal as the mochi sets.
- Dust your knife with a little bit of cornstarch to prevent the mochi from sticking to the blade when cutting into squares.
Mochi bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Let soften and come to room temperature before serving.
