Instead of being light and airy, mine were dense, tough, and more cake-like. I kicked myself because I know better than to deviate from directions on a first try. I was frustrated and disappointed because after tasting one, the rest went straight into the garbage. I’ll spare you my disastrous attempt and pass on the instructions as they were sent to me. With my confidence shaken, I’ll need some time to recover before giving these a fair shot. You’re smarter than I am and for you, I’m positive these will be everything my mom says they were!

My aunt, who lives in Japan, made this after hearing my mom rave about it but quickly decided it was not worth the effort. Apparently in Japan, tofu donuts are not so novel and all donut shops carry them!

1 pkg (150g) Morinaga Hot Cake Mix
150g med. firm (momen) tofu
2 tsp sugar
oil for deep frying (new oil is better—I used brown rice oil)

Mash tofu with your fingers or pass the tofu through a sieve and into a medium bowl. Add the sugar and cake mix to the tofu and quickly mix well with a rubber spatula. It may look dry at first, but after mixing it’ll be fine.

Shape the dough as you like. I shaped them into balls, but you can also make ring donuts and donut holes. Heat oil to 300 to 320 degrees and deep fry donuts until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar or dip in chocolate and serve.

I received a bag full of Meyer lemons last week (thank you, Amy!) and so the experiment began. Lemon bars seemed the perfect thing to modify. I get nervous altering a baking recipe, so I was timid, but the result was pretty good. I added the mochiko after making the curd and stirred in milk to balance the amount of liquid. I baked it a little longer—just enough so the side and top were starting to brown.

The mochiko made the lemon curd firm up, so it’s less custardy and made the final bar less sweet. Sometimes lemon bars are tooth-achingly sweet, so I liked this version better. But next time, I’m going to assert myself more and increase the mochiko so it really takes on a sticky chew.

Lemon Mochi Bars
Adapted from The New Best Recipe
Makes 16 bars

Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces

Filling:
7 large egg yolks and 2 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice (I used 4 large Meyer lemons—the size of oranges)
1/4 cup or more finely grated zest
pinch salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
1/2 cup mochiko

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and fold 2 pieces of parchment paper into the pan like a cross. Make sure you push the paper into the corners and up the sides of the pan.

For the crust, place the flour, confectioner’s sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter and cut into the flour using 2 butter knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers or with the bottom of a flat glass.

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat to 350 degrees. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

For the filling, whisk together the egg yolks and whole eggs in a medium nonreactive bowl. Add the sugar and whisk until just combined. Add the lemon juice and zest and the salt; whisk until combined. Transfer the mixtue to a medium nonreactive saucepan, add the butter pieces, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the curd thickens to a thin sauce-like consistency and registers 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour the curd through sieve set over a clean nonreactive bowl. Stir in the milk or heavy cream and mochiko and pour the curd onto the warm crust immediately.

Bake until the filling is opaque and starting to brown on the sides and top, about 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Remove the bars from the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into bars and serve.

Don’t be afraid to brown edges on these babies—the crusty texture gives a nice contrast to the sticky innards. See the photo above? It could’ve stayed in the oven a bit longer, so be not afraid! The cake will stay moist. You could also drop a dollop of anko in the center or play around with other mix-ins. They’re only good for 2 days tops, so be sure you have hungry mouths to feed!

Matcha Mochi Cupcakes
Adapted From Otoki
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 (1 lb.) box mochiko
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. matcha
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Spoon batter in a muffin pan lined with baking cups and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

But last night I couldn’t fall asleep because of a vision of matcha pancakes. I hoped the pairing would be complimentary because pancakes have a slight sour quality that could parallel the tinge of bitterness from the green powder. In the morning, I took my go-to recipe for pancakes and began experimenting. These cakes are light and fluffy with a hint of matcha—a slight twist to a conventional American breakfast.

Here’s the recipe, but you matcha lovers—feel free to adjust according to your preferences!

Matcha Pancakes
Adapted from The New Best Recipe
Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups milk
1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. matcha powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
1–2 tsp. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Melt the butter over low heat and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and lemon juice and set aside.

Over a medium sieve set in a large bowl, combine flour, matcha, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and sift into the bowl. Whisk the egg into the milk mixture to until combined and pour over the dry ingredients. Very gently stir until only small lumps remain. Be careful not to overmix.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and brush to coat as evenly as possible. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 to 1½ minutes more. Place cooked pancakes on an oven-proof plate in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining pancakes.

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Download recipe (PDF)