Butter Mochi Cake Muffins

Oh my! These mochi cake muffins may be my favorite thing that I've baked lately. The crisped buttery shell and the soft/ dense chewy interior together are absolutely dreamy. I baked these in a mini muffin pan to maximize the crispy crust and topped them with coconut to further highlight the coconut aroma.

The textural combination, the coconut aroma, and the perfect balance of sweetness made these irresistible. The husband ate 5 when they've cooled just enough fresh from the oven.

For more mochi goodness, check these out too:
Matcha Coconut Mochi Cake - I love making this one for potlucks!
Matcha Mochi Waffles
Chocolate Mochi Cakes
Green Tea Mochi Cakes
Baked Honey Mochi Donuts
Mango Mochi

Butter Mochi Cake Muffins
recipe adapted from Snixy Kitchen
makes 18 mini muffins

1/8 cup (1 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing pans
1 cup (160 g) sweet rice flour
60g brown sugar*
10g coconut sugar*
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 of a 13.5-13.66-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
shredded coconut, to top

*increase sugar to 100g if you want things sweeter!

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and generously grease the sides and top muffin tin with soft butter or avocado oil spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sweet rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
5. Divide batter among the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup all the way to the top.
6. Sprinkle the tops with shredded coconut.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is brown and crispy and the muffin springs back when poked with a finger.
8. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Enjoy fresh or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Pop back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up.

salt

Taste: 5 stars out of 5
Perfect as is for the general public; but personally I would decrease sugar a little tad more.
Texture: 5 stars out of 5
What more can I say? These have all the texture you want in a mochi cake muffin.

Anzac Biscuits

Anzac Biscuits (a.k.a. Crisp Coconut Oatmeal Cookies)
recipe adapted from Lazy Cat Kitchen

makes about 22

100 g / 1 cup oats
85 g / ¾ cup (slightly heaped) desiccated coconut*
100 g / 1 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour*
100 g / ½ cup + 1 tbsp caster sugar*
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp water, hot
100 g / 3.5 oz vegan butter, margarine or refined coconut oil*
1 tbsp maple syrup or golden syrup*

*Notes:

100g unsweetened coconut chips, pulsed

50g white whole wheat flour + 50g AP flour

75g coconut sugar

40g coconut oil + 60g unsalted butter

maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 180° C / 355° F.
2. Put oats, desiccated coconut, flour and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and mix well.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat (or in microwave), add maple syrup and stir until combined.
4. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 2 tbsp of hot water and add to melted butter mixture.
5. Add melted butter mixture to dry ingredients and stir gently until it is mixed well.
6. Roll mixture into balls with your hands (it should make 20 at 25 g each), flatten each ball so that you have 1 cm / 0.4″ high cookies, and place them 2 cm / 1″ apart on a paper lined baking tray.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I wasn't at all familiar with Anzac Biscuits nor Australia Day until I came across a couple posts on these cookies while looking for an oatmeal cookie recipe.

An Anzac biscuit is a sweet, hard tack biscuit, popular in Australia and New Zealand, made using rolled oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda, boiling water, and (optionally) desiccated coconut. Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I.
(source: Wikipedia) 

What's not to love about these biscuits from down under which are pretty much oatmeal cookies with loads of coconut chips mixed in? They turned out exactly as I have anticipated - crisp and chewy with a wonderful aroma!

I adapted the recipe to balance between wholesome and indulgent. I substituted half of the flour with white whole wheat flour and nearly half of the fat with coconut oil. I also opted for coconut sugar and maple syrup which I have readily on hand.

I added 15g more coconut chips unintentionally and forgot that the recipe called for desiccated coconut. I only briefly pulsed my coconut chips which resulted in larger pieces mixed into the batter. The dough was a bit crumbly and took some time to form into balls, but nonetheless turned out delicioso!

Taste: 4 stars out of 5
Fragrant, buttery and rich!
Texture: 4 stars out of 5
Crisp with loads of oatmeal and coconut chips which added some chew!

Banana Muffins

Great recipe for a moist, spongy banana muffins. The steps are fairly straightforward just like any muffin recipes. Mix your dry ingredients together. Mix your wet. Fold them together. Stir in nuts. The key is to mix JUST until it comes together. I made some adjustments to this highly rated/reviewed recipe, and the results were delicious. Follow me and sub with white whole wheat flour, coconut sugar, and applesauce to make them extra nutritious!

I also intentionally kept 1 banana less mashed than the rest to add some chunks and texture. Absolutely thrilled and pleased that none of my substitutions compromised the fluffy texture and taste. And while I was at it, I threw in some mini chocolate chips for good measure.

Banana Muffins
recipe adapted from All Recipes
makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 cup (192g) AP flour*see notes
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt*
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup (100g) sugar*
1 egg
1/3 cup (76g) butter, melted*
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1oz mini chocolate chips

Notes: 128g AP flour + 64g white whole wheat flour; 1/4 tsp salt; 65g coconut sugar; 50g butter + 25g applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl.
4. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth.
5. Scoop into muffin pans.
6. Bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes.

Best enjoyed fresh and warm, but these actually kept very well and maintained their light fluffy texture overnight.

 

Taste: 5 stars out of 5

Lightly sweetened. Great banana flavor.

Texture: 5 stars out of 5

Light and fluffy. Moist with banana chunks and chocolate chips surprises. 

Banana Bread Granola

My baking routine has been disrupted or paused for a little while now ever since my diet was turned upside down during our trip in New Orleans late February. 

A simple Greek yogurt banana bread and a unique banana bread granola are slowly easing me back into the game. 

With no oil and refined sugar, the banana bread was a little dense for my liking. But these banana bread granola thooooo.. These are great in my yogurt parfait and even just as a snack on their own. 

I love how the sweetness mask the not so pleasant Greek yogurt flavor (:

Banana Bread Granola
recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker
makes about 7 cups

240g old fashioned rolled oats
95g walnuts
40g pecans
25g sunflower seeds
38g coconut chips, unsweetened
1 Tbsp (10g) organic coconut palm sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon, ground
1 Tbsp flax seeds, ground
1 tsp chia seeds 

52g coconut oil, melted
100g maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium ripe banana, mashed  (~1/2 cup)

1. DRY: In large bowl, combine oats, nuts, seeds, coconut chips, sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon.
2. WET: In pot over low heat, combine oil, syrup, and vanilla and warm till liquid state.
3. WHISK: Whisk mashed banana into wet ingredients.
4. COMBINE: Pour wet ingredients into dry. Mix until evenly combined.
5. BAKE: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread granola mixture out in an even layer. Bake at 350F, gently stirring at 15 minutes, until the granola is golden-brown and dry, 30 minutes.
6. COOL: Let cool completely and transfer to jar to store. 

Dry ingredients.

All ready to combine together.

Last minute idea to throw in my leftover coconut chips.

Spread out to an even thickness layer.

Mix them up a bit to release the heat once they are done baking.

Good chunky size!

Yogurt parfait.

Granola > Greek yogurt.

Taste: 5 stars out of 5

Banana flavor was mild. Good amount of sweetness. Lovely toasty-ness from the nuts.

Texture: 4.5 stars out of 5

Not as crispy as my last granola, but nothing a little longer bake time can't fix.