RECIPE: Pumpkin Pie Butter Mochi

Because we all want to eat something other than pumpkin pie.

Photo: Catherine Toth Fox

I’m pretty much over pumpkin pie.

But what else is there to do with all the cans of pumpkin purée I’ve had since last Thanksgiving?

Every year I try to come up with something different — something other than pumpkin pie — for the holidays. While pumpkin crunch — with its cake-box crust and luscious whipped cream — is a surefire crowd-pleaser, I like to mix it up.

A couple of years ago, I experimented with a pumpkin-haupia pie, which turned out great if you like pumpkin and coconut. (Because you have to like both.) And last year I played around with my mom’s butter mochi recipe, adding cans of pumpkin purée and adjusting eggs, sugar and milk ratios.

It passed the test of several pumpkin pie aficionados — with the exception of my mom, who couldn’t get past the chewy mochi texture — and now it’s something I plan to bake every year.

Until I get sick of it.

Here’s the recipe.

Here’s what you need. Photo: Catherine Toth Fox

Pumpkin Pie Butter Mochi

Ingredients

• 1 block (or 1/2 cup) butter, melted

• 2 cups milk (any type works)

• 1 13.5-ounce can of coconut milk

• 4 eggs, beaten

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)

• 1 16-ounce box mochiko (rice flour)

• 2 to 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. pumpkin spice

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

Melt butter. Add both milks and mix. Then add eggs, vanilla and pumpkin purée and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients — mochiko, sugar, salt and spices. Then combine the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into a greased 13x9-inch pan and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Eat.

Photo: Catherine Toth Fox