The closer we get to the new year, the more I find myself reminiscing about the beginning of the year — before the lockdowns, the masks, the social distancing. I was lucky enough to be in Hawaii back in January, for my father-in-law’s birthday. It was two full weeks of paradise and good food, and yet I still feel like I wasn’t able to try everything I wanted to, which adds onto this feeling of really wanting to go back whenever possible. The main thing I think about often, is mochi donuts. Passionfruit mochi donuts in particular. I’ve had mochi donuts here in Toronto, and I just don’t get the same satisfaction from the flavour or texture, even though they are quite good. I decided I would try to make mochi donuts on my own, and I documented a whole video on my process, which you can watch above or on www.youtube.com/allysaw.
While I have no idea what MoDo actually uses, or what their ratios are, I am quite confident in my mochi donuts, as mine were dense, chewy and similar shaped to the donuts I remember having close to 11 months ago. The first batch was delicious as well, but not as chewy, or mochi-like in flavour and texture. The first batch actually came out similar to regular donuts, with a little more chew. The way I decided to combat that was by reducing my all-purpose flour, adding more mochi flour, and changing my ganache to a glaze by adding icing sugar.
Here is the recipe below
Passionfruit Mochi Donuts
This recipe should make about 12 donuts.
Ingredients
60g (1/2 cup) sweet glutinous rice flour
67g (1/3 cup) water
48g (1/4 cup) melted butter
1 egg, at room temperature
83g (1/3 cup) water
120g (1 cup – 1 tbsp) sweet glutinous rice flour
120g (1 cup) all purpose flour
60g (1/3 cup) sugar
5g (1 tsp) baking powder
3g (1/2 tsp) salt
Method
- Take a large piece of parchment and cut 12 squares, about 5×5″ inches wide. Place some clean kitchen scissors in a glass of cold water. Use this cup of water to wet your spatula as you work with the mochi.
- Make the starter dough using the first portion of glutinous rice flour and water. Mix them in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, covered, preferably with a cup of water to add steam into the microwave, on high for 1 minute, or until slightly transparent and gooey in consistency. Cooking the first portion is crucial in creating that gooey texture.
- Using a wet spatula, scrape into a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Add the butter, egg, and water, and give it a mix by hand with the spatula, to break apart.
- In a separate bowl, sift and whisk the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, salt, and baking powder) together, and add into the mochi egg water mixture. Mix on medium/low speed from 5-8 minutes or until fully combined.
- The dough will be very stretchy and gooey. Scoop into a piping bag with a plain tip attached. I used the ateco #4.
- Pipe 8 small circles, about 1 inch in diameter onto the parchment squares, into a circle to create the signature mochi donut shape. Use the kitchen scissors to cut the batter off the piping bag. If the batter is too soft and hard to work with, you can leave it to cool, as it will be more gooey when warm, and stiffer when colder. If it is too hard to pipe, try to pipe smaller portions at a time.
- Heat up 2 inches of canola oil in a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat. Use a thermometer to bring it to 330F-350F or 166C-180C. Take a square of parchment and carefully lower into the hot oil to fry. Once the donut lifts from the paper, use a pair of tongs to fish out the parchment paper. Flip the donut after the edges appear a tanned brown colour, about 1-2 minutes each side. Let it drain thoroughly on a cooling rack or paper towel.
- Once finished frying all the donuts, turn off the oil to cool and set aside. Coat in the passionfruit glaze and set to cool completely before serving.
Passionfruit Glaze
This makes enough for about 1 cup of glaze.
Ingredients
230g (1 cup) passionfruit juice, reduced to half (about 112g or 1/2 cup)
112g (2/3 cup) white chocolate chips
112g (about 1 cup) sifted icing sugar, can be adjusted to desired consistency
Method
- Take the passionfruit juice and place in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and allow it to reduce to about 1/2 the volume. Pour over white chocolate chips in a heatproof medium mixing bowl.
- Use a hand blender if the mixture doesn’t come together, and blend until homogenous.
- Add in the sifted icing sugar, and whisk until fully combined.
- Dip the warm donuts in the mixture and allow it to set.
ally bakes 