Step 1

Place milk and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

Step 2

Meanwhile, place egg yolk, corn starch and sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Step 3

Stream in the hot milk to the egg mix gradually while continuously whisk to combine it smoothly.

Step 4

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, return it to the stove and cook the mixture on low until it thickens, making sure to whisk it continuously.

Step 5

Optional: Strain mixture through a sieve for a smoother texture.

Step 6

Transfer the custard to a bowl, add the softened butter to the custard and stir until it’s combined.

Step 7

Cover the custard with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard. Refrigerate.4

Step 8

Prepare a steamer and boil water ready for steaming.

Step 9

Mix together glutinous flour, rice flour and sugar in a bowl.

Step 10

Add milk and oil to the flour mix. Stir to a whisk to form a smooth batter. (You can also strain it through a sieve.)

Step 11

Rub a thin layer of oil to coat a large heatproof bowl/deep plate, then pour the batter into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the wrap.

Step 12

Steam on med/med-high for about 15-20 minutes.

Step 13

Optional: Line the benchtop with a sheet of plastic wrap in preparation for kneading. (I recommend kneading on plastic wrap as the dough won’t stick and it makes cleaning up easier.)

Step 14

Remove cooked mixture from steamer and using a spoon or spatula, scrape the cooked mixture onto the prepared plastic wrap. Let it cool slightly then knead it into a smooth dough. Wear gloves (preferred) or rub your hands with some oil to help prevent dough from sticking.

Step 15

Optional: If you want coloured wrappers, add colouring at this stage and knead it into the dough.

Step 16

Split the dough into about 10 pieces (approx 30-35g each). Keep the dough covered with plastic wrap to prevent them drying out.

Step 17

Take one piece of dough and flatten it into a circle approx. 7cm. Put some custard in the middle. Pull up the edges toward the middle to seal the custard inside (you may need to use a small spoon to help push the custard in). Lightly coat the surface with cooked glutinous rice flour or desiccated coconut to prevent the mochi from sticking to each other.

Step 18

The mochi are best eaten on the day it’s made as the wrapper will harden over time, especially as these will need to be stored in the fridge due to a custard filling