Oh my goodness, I’m 1 week away from my third trimester – and I am certainly been filling myself up with a lot more fried foods, like this matcha mochi donut. To celebrate also passing my gestational diabetes screening for pregnancy, I also went on a craze for mochi anything – particularly mochi donuts. I first had anything like a mochi donut back in Kyoto’s Mister Donut (photos of it here) and it was damn sensational and always a must for everytime I see a Mister Donut  – let alone transit at Kyoto station. I’ve recently learned pon de ring and mochi donuts are actually not the same thing, but after making pon de ring with all the types of flour, having to wait for yeast to raise and struggling with my oven **will post photos of the disaster**; I’ve opted for the easier, mochi donut alternative that was a thousand minutes quicker and million times easier to work with as well.

I have to admit, I’m definitely getting more sluggish and it’s showing – hopefully not too much in my work here. But growing a freaking human being inside me (by now, apparently 14 inches long from head to toe and at ~1.7lbs) is certainly making my back hurt; I feel like I’m a decade older. I think the weirdest “symptom” was feeling a kick or some sort of punch in my stomach when I was driving back home from work. But hey, it’s comforting to know that there’s so many other women out there who go through this around the world (and for generations and generations)

Anyway, the holidays will be our last Christmas before this little monster comes out, and I have to admit I’m happy to just drink hot chocolate (with marshmallows?) + hot apple cider with O and our furry friend, Bagel curled up by the fire with our Christmas tree (that’s a mouthful)

Mochi donut

Ingredients

Preparation Time

20 min

Cooking Time

10 min

Ready In

30 min

• 1 C cake flour
• 3/4 C glutinous rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3.5 oz silken tofu
• 1 lg egg
• 2 tbsp water (room temp)
• 2 C canola oil*

Directions

Step 1.

In a large bowl, sift together 1 C cake flour, 3/4 C glutinous rice flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 C granulated sugar and set aside.

Step 2.

Strain the tofu by pressing 3.5 oz of the silken tofu through a fine mesh sieve. Then, mix in 1 lg egg and 2 tbsp of water. Using a whisk, mix to combine.

Step 3.

Combine the egg and tofu mix by using a flat spatula. Once the dough begins to take shape, work it with your clean hands.

Step 4.

Cut out 5″x5″ wax paper sheets and weigh each dough ball to about 7 grams each. You should make about 64 balls. Use a teaspoon of water and work the ring to make sure they can stay intact for frying.

Step 5.

Prepare a large pot with about 2″ deep of oil to deep fry.

Step 6.

Once the oil reaches 325-350F, begin frying with a large slotted spoon and gently slip into the hot oil for 40 seconds. Carefully flip it over for another 30 seconds or until golden brown. Depending on your pot size, you may want to limit to 1 donut at a time instead of 2.

Step 7.

Carefully transfer each donut to a plate with paper towels or a wire rack to absorb the excess oil until it cools down.

Step 8.

Once the donuts are fully cooled down, carefully dip the donuts into the matcha glaze. Enjoy day of.