Have you ever heard of Mochi? Don’t worry if you haven’t. For years I passed it by at the grocery store never knowing or even seeing what it was. Funny enough it was located right above where I would get my jar of pickles and yet it never caught my eye. Then one day I saw a women grab a package of it and put it in her cart. It was enough to spark my interest and when I finally took a look at what it was I was really surprised.

Package of Cinnamon Raisin Mochi

It comes in an airtight package and it’s hard and flat. There are a variety of flavors like pizza, cashew date, super seed and sesame garlic. It says that it puffs up and forms a bite sized chewy piece of ‘bread’. I decided to take a package home and give it a whirl. You’ll need a sharp knife to cut it and cooking it up takes no time at all. Once it’s in the oven you can watch as it gets all puffy and when it comes out it has this amazing chewy consistency that is just wonderful! The kids and I loved it!

Because we homeschool the kids we are able to avoid the usual candy focused Valentine’s Day so we typically have a special breakfast together before we start school for the day. This year I’m going to surprise the kids with these stuffed mochies (mochi’s, mochis? not even google could help me with the plural form). I love that they are popable and and it’s easy to make just a small batch in a matter of minutes. They are also a super fun dessert to share with your special someone.

Sarah

Ingredients:

1 package Cinnamon Raisin Mochi
1/4 cup cashews
2 large Medjool dates, pitted
a splash of vanilla
a dash or two of cinammon
1 tbsp coconut nectar, raw honey, brown rice syrup or maple syrup

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the mochi pieces on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart
Cut the mochi into 16 equal sized pieces. Place the mochi pieces on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

Place in the oven for about 8 minutes or until the mochi are puffed up and slightly browned
Place in the oven for about 8 minutes or until the mochi are puffed up and slightly browned. Your mochi should be crispy on the outside, with a hollow center surround by a chewy layer.
While the mochi are baking, add the rest of the ingredients to a blender and process until you have a smooth peanut butter like consistency. Set aside.
Remove the mochi from the oven and let them cool for about 4-5 minutes. Once they are cooled use a knife to make a small slit on the side of each mochi, allowing you to stuff the hollowed out center with 1/2 tbsp of the stuffing mixture.
You can serve as is or place back in the oven for 2 minutes to reheat the mochi.

Nutritional Info:

Makes 16 stuffed bites.

Serving size 2 stuffed mochi.

Nutrients per serving: Calories: 167.5, Cal. from Fat: 26.5, Total Fat: 3g, Sat. Fat: 0g, Carbs: 32.5g, Fiber: 3.5g, Sugars: 10g, Protein: 2.5g, Sodium: 37.5mg, Chol: 0mg

Notes:

These are best eaten right away. The uncooked mochi can be stored in the fridge for up to a week until ready to use. You can also store the stuffing mixture in the fridg