Standing outside on the first cold, crisp day of 2014, I could have sworn I heard the distinctive “don…don…don” of a kine (wooden mallet) striking an usu (stone mortar), far off in the distance. Though unlikely, the tradition of making mochi for oshogatsu is so ubiquitous in Japanese culture, it would be unthinkable for anyone immersed in the culture to ignore it. Pounding sweet glutenous rice into submission is no simple task, typically requiring a whole village to pitch in and churn out enough mochi to ring in the new year.

Celebrations are based around the ritual and everyone gets something delicious as their reward. Though ozoni soup is the most authentic way to commemorate the turning of the calendar, ensuring good luck and prosperity for the coming months, mochi is the perfect blank canvas for any flavors sweet or savory. Naturally, my inclination is to play up its capacity for creating unique sweet treats.

Forget pounding stubborn grains of rice until your arms ache and your hands throb. This is mochi for the modern baker, dressed up in a rich cloak of chocolate, no less. Mochiko, otherwise known as finely powdered sweet rice flour, makes the process move along much more smoothly- literally. Crossing cultural boundaries and incorporating some unconventional ingredients, the resulting brownies are a curious hybrid of Japanese and American tastes.

Shockingly decadent in comparison to the plain white spheres produced from typical methods, these mahogany brown squares are a definite indulgence, which strikes me as a fitting way to kick off a joyful new year. For anyone expecting a standard brownie though, the texture may come as a shock. Chewy with a delightfully bouncy, sticky texture between the teeth, it makes no secret of its glutenous rice foundation. To some who struggles with anything that isn’t either crispy-crunchy or pudding-soft, these may not be the most winning recipe.

For the rest of you adventurous eaters and bakers though, it’s a stunningly simple mash-up that’s long overdue. Have your mochi and enjoy it too, without any of the hard labor (or choking hazards) associated with the original. As a side bonus, these rice flour-based treats are “accidentally” gluten-free, so everyone can start their year on a sweet note!

Yield: Makes 16 – 24 Brownies

Mochi Brownies

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A decadent mashup of classic chocolate brownies with chewy mochi, these bars are incredibly satisfying to sink you teeth into.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Mochiko (Glutenous Rice Flour)*
• 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter
• 9 Ounces (1 1/2 Cups) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Divided
• 1 1/2 Cups Plain Non-Dairy Milk
• 1 14-Ounce Can Full-Fat Coconut Milk
• 1/2 Cup Plain or Vanilla Vegan Yogurt
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 9 x 13-inch rectangular baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mochiko, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and powder, and salt. Stir until all the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mixture and set aside.
3. Place the vegan butter and 6 ounces (1 cup) of the chocolate chips in a large, microwave-safe container along with half of the non-dairy milk. Microwave for a minute, stir well, and then continue heating at 30-second intervals, mixing thoroughly in between each new cycle, until the chocolate has completely melted. Add in the remaining measure of milk plus the coconut milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry and stir thoroughly with a wide spatula. Don’t worry about over-mixing, since there’s no gluten here that might form. Go ahead and beat the tar out of that batter! Toss in the remaining 3 ounces (1/2 cup) of chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
5. Once there are no lumps remaining, transfer it into your prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 55 – 60 minutes, until dry and slightly crackled on top. The toothpick test won’t be particularly helpful for this brownie, so trust your intuition when it appears to be done on the surface.
6. Let cool completely before slicing into bars.

Notes

*Although the rice flour is "glutenous," this recipe is actually gluten-free!

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

• 
  Simply Organic, Pure Madagascar Vanilla, 4 fl oz (118 ml)
• 
  Enjoy Life Foods, Regular Size Morsels, Dark Chocolate, 9 oz (255 g)
• 
  Bob's Red Mill, Sweet White Rice Flour, 24 oz (680 g)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 221Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 216mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 2g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.