The shelter-in-place order has resulted in many businesses temporarily closing, including some of our favorite cafés and bakeries, like 1951 Coffee Company and Third Culture Bakery. How will you satisfy your mochi muffin craving now?

Third Culture Bakery, the original source of the amazingly delicious mochi muffins and donuts, is still open for curbside pickup. However, many students are no longer in the Berkeley area. What if I told you that you could easily make mochi muffins at home, and they’ll be just as delicious as the ones from 1951 Coffee Company or Third Culture Bakery? With just a few simple ingredients that are already in your cupboard, you can make these delicious mochi muffins in just under an hour!

Since we have so much time on our hands now that we’re stuck at home, let’s go the extra step and upgrade these butter mochi muffins to black sesame mochi muffins! It’s easy and delicious, and you’ll also be able to make more than a dozen for the price of one.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (or coconut oil)
• 2 cups mochiko sweet rice flour 
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 can (about 13.5 ounces) full fat coconut milk 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract  
• 1 teaspoon molasses   
• 1 cup black sesame seeds (for black sesame mochi muffins only) 
• 1 cup honey (for black sesame mochi muffins only)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter. 
2. If you’re making black sesame mochi muffins, place 1 cup of black sesame seeds on a baking sheet and bake for about 5-10 minutes. Place the roasted black sesame seeds in a blender or food processor and blend until the seeds start breaking down and releasing oils.
3. Add the honey to the mixture and blend until it’s well combined. You can skip this step if you’re making butter mochi muffins.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sweet rice flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. 
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter or coconut oil, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla extract and molasses.
6. Then combine the dry mixture with the coconut mixture. If you’re making black sesame mochi muffins, add in the black sesame paste from step 3 and stir until it’s well combined.
7. Fill each cup in the muffin tin equally with batter. (Each cup should be completely full.) You can top each muffin with black and white sesame seeds.
8. Place them in the oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are golden brown.
9. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before consuming! 

It was literally that easy! You can store them in an airtight container for about three days, but after that, they’ll start to lose their spongy consistency. Enjoy them with your cup of coffee or tea in the morning. It’ll take you right back to 1951!