Blueberry Coconut Mochi Bars
There's something deeply satisfying about sinking your teeth into chewy mochi and these bars are no exception. Tropical coconut mixed with juicy, sweet blueberries make for an explosion of flavors and textures.
This is another easy, whisk together recipe, just make sure that your blueberries are nice and sweet before tossing them in the batter. I use unsweetened coconut in the batter to let the flavor shine without the cloying sweetness that sweetened coconut can sometimes bring, but if you have a big sweet-tooth, feel free to use the sweetened variety.
Photos by Daniel Marks
Blueberry Coconut Mochi Bars Recipe:
Yield:
16 squares
Difficulty:
Easy
Ingredients:
Topping:
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted (see instructions)
⅓ cup sweet blueberries
Bars:
56 grams (4 TBSP / ¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted browned and cooled
175 grams granulated sugar
27 grams light brown sugar
200 grams (¾ cup + 2 TBSP) full-fat, unsweetened canned coconut milk, well stirred
186 grams (¾ cup) evaporated milk
2 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp coconut extract
225 grams mochiko sweet rice flour *
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp coarse kosher salt
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup sweet blueberries
*Learn about glutinous rice flours here
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8-inch pan and line with parchment, leaving about a 2-inch overhang on two sides to more easily remove bars from the pan.
Spread ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven for 2-4 minutes until lightly golden. Keep an eye on it, it goes from nothing to too done very quickly. Let cool in pan while you prepare the bars.
Whisk together cooled brown butter, both sugars, both milks, eggs, and both extracts until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients in two additions, whisking to combine, making sure the first addition has been thoroughly blended before adding the second. Fold in coconut and ½ cup blueberries. Pour into prepared pan.
Gently scatter blueberries evenly across the top, then sprinkle the toasted coconut on top. Bake for around 40 minutes until lightly golden, set, and a tester comes out clean. Try to test in an area away from a blueberry which will add moisture. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. For clean slices, once cool, transfer to a cutting board and slice with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices.
Store, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for longer.
Adapted from the Coconut Mochi Square recipe in Bake from Scratch magazine, May/June 2021 issue.
Photos by Daniel Marks
