Savory Corn Mochi With Scallions Gluten Free Lisa Lin

When I saw Sonia Wong’s sweet corn mochi recipe, an idea blossomed. Sonia’s recipe is inspired by Hawaiian butter mochi with a seasonal summer twist. She added a yellow corn purée to the batter, which infused the butter mochi with subtle corn flavor and gave the mochi a beautiful yellow color. Using Sonia’s corn mochi recipe as a starting point, I worked on creating a savory corn mochi recipe. I reduced the amount of sugar and added fragrant scallions and shredded parmesan for a rich savory flavor. I also added whole corn kernels to the batter for more textural contrast in the baked mochi. The result is a delicious and fragrant corn mochi that is slightly sweet but also swirling with savory aromas. This savory corn mochi is a hit among my family and my husband’s co-workers! People have told me that the mochi is addictive and the savory flavor is a pleasant surprise.

COOKING NOTES FOR SAVORY CORN MOCHI

WHAT KIND OF CORN TO USE

You’ll need about 3 to 4 ears of corn for this recipe, depending on the size. For this recipe, I decided to make the mochi batter with white corn and folded in whole yellow corn kernels at the end for some color contrast. You can make this corn mochi with entirely white corn or yellow corn, or you can use a combination of both like I did.

WHAT KIND OF CHEESE TO USE

I decided to use parmesan for this recipe because I wanted to incorporate cheesy flavor but didn’t want the cheese flavor to overpower the corn or scallion flavors too much. If you want even more cheesy flavor, feel free to bump up the amount of parmesan used from 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup (or even 3/4 cup!) or use a stronger cheese, such as sharp white cheddar.

WHAT KIND OF PAN TO USE

I tested this savory corn mochi with 5 different baking pans: 8×8-inch pan, 9×9-inch pan, 9×13-inch pan, muffin pan, and a Baker’s Edge pan (affiliate link). You can bake this savory corn mochi with any of those pans. However, my favorite batches of the mochi were baked in a 9×9-inch square pan (affiliate link). I liked the height of the mochi as well as the crusty edge to chewy center ratio. You would think that baking the mochi in a muffin pan would speed up the baking process. However, I discovered that was not the case. Because I wanted the corn mochi to have a nice and even golden brown crust at the top, the mochi needed to be baked for at least 40 minutes. If you decide to use a muffin pan, fill each well about 3/4 full with the batter. Bake at 350ºF (175ºC) for 40 minutes and check to see if the tops and edges are a rich golden brown color before removing from the oven. As someone who loves eating edge pieces of baked goods, I wanted to try baking a batch of the mochi in a Baker’s Edge pan. The zig-zagging design of the pan yields cakes and bars with more edges compared to a standard square or rectangular pan. I was surprised how well the corn mochi baked inside this pan. The only issue was that the thick batter was a little difficult to spread inside the pan. The baking temperature and time for the Baker’s Edge pan is the same as the 9×9 pan.

CAN YOU FREEZE OR REFRIGERATE THE SAVORY CORN MOCHI?

Yes! As a matter of fact, I prefer the texture of the corn mochi the next day, after it has been reheated and cooled. Reheating the mochi gives the edges and bottom a harder crust. Those crustier edges and bottom contrast nicely against the chewy center. Place the corn mochi in a container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat the mochi on a baking pan at 350ºF (175ºC) for 10 to 12 minutes. Let the mochi cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before eating. That way, the edges have more time to harden. When it comes to freezing, I like to cut the corn mochi into pieces first before freezing. This speeds up the reheating process later. Arrange the mochi pieces on a pan or large plate lined with parchment paper. Once the mochi hardens (in about 1 to 2 hours), transfer the frozen mochi to a freezer container. To reheat the frozen mochi, place the frozen pieces on a baking pan at 350ºF (175ºC) for 17 to 20 minutes. You do not need to defrost the mochi. Let the mochi cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before eating.