Morimoto-Approved Mochi Donut Kit

Yes, I made these at home -- thanks to Global Grub's Mochi Donut Kit.
Yes, I made these at home — thanks to Global Grub’s Mochi Donut Kit.

Get a sweet taste of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s cooking in your own home.

You can with this fun, make-it-yourself Mochi Donut Kit ($42.99) that was created in collaboration with Walnut Creek’s Global Grub.

CEO Carly Sheehey’s love for travel inspired her cooking kit company that aims to bring a delicious taste of different countries near and far to home cooks in an easy, approachable manner.

Global Grub now offers eight different DIY cooking kits that feature everything from churros to sushi.

All you have to add is a few ingredients -- and your time -- to make these gluten-free, chewy-licious donuts.
All you have to add is a few ingredients — and your time — to make these gluten-free, chewy-licious donuts.

I had a chance to test-drive the mochi donut kit when I received a sample from the company a few weeks ago.

The kit comes complete with most everything you need to bake three batches of six donuts. That includes a silicone donut baking pan, a piping bag, a bag of sweet rice flour, a bag of confectioners’ sugar, and packets of matcha, cocoa, and strawberry powders to make three types of glazes. There’s even an instruction booklet signed by Morimoto.

Contents of the box.
Contents of the box.

The only ingredients you have to provide for each batch of donuts is one egg, baking powder, salt, whole milk, and butter.

The cover of the instruction booklet is signed by Morimoto.
The cover of the instruction booklet is signed by Morimoto.

The gluten-free batter stirs up in a jiffy. Spoon it into the piping bag, then pipe the batter into the greased donut mold, before sliding it into the oven.

In no time at all, they will emerge a pale yellow on top with a browner hue on the bottom. Stir up the glaze with the accompanying flavored powder and confectioners’ sugar, plus a splash of milk. Then, dip the tops of each donut into the bowl of glaze. You can add whatever garnishes you like, too, from sprinkles to nuts to coconut flakes to cookie crumbs.

The donuts right out of the oven.
The donuts right out of the oven.

For some holiday razzle-dazzle, I went with a little gold flake on the edge of my strawberry mochi donuts, which turned out as cute as can be.

The strawberry glaze has a bright tang to it, too. The donuts, themselves, are modest-sized and sport a nice chewy, denser texture.

They don’t have quite the crispiness of ones purchased at specialty bakeries, which are often fried rather than baked like these. Specialty bakeries also make theirs in a distinctive shape akin to a teething ring, with individual spheres of dough stuck together in a ring shape, which increases the surface area for more crispness.

But with a kit like this on hand, you don’t have to make a special trip to a mochi donut shop. Just bake a batch whenever the craving hits, and get the thrill of making it yourself instead.

It makes for a novel holiday gift. Best yet, for every kit sold on its web site, Global Grub donates a meal to a local food bank, such as the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, making this really two gifts in one.

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