By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Kristen Morita
Bakers get a certain twinkle in their eye at this time of year. During the holiday season, cookies and cakes arrive hot out of the oven faster almost than eagerly awaiting loved ones can eat them. At this time of year, those who represent multiple cultures often feel torn between which heritage to honor with the traditions they choose and the foods they make. Why not all of them?
On her blog, titled “Mochi Mommy,” Eastside resident, Kristen Morita, shares recipes inspired by her Chinese and Japanese background. Some are passed down to her and others she has invented herself, with a pleasing and fun creativity that combines traditional holiday-time foods with Asian flavors. Craving sweets, yet also would like them to contain the flavors you grew up with? Try Kristen’s Yuzu Thumbprint Cookies or Matcha Cupcakes, for instance.
“I grew up baking both classic American treats [and Asian], but Asian food was…part of my heritage and upbringing, so it made sense to start meshing the two together,” Morita told the Asian Weekly.
Morita grew up in Southern California within at least three cultures—Japanese, Chinese, and American. Her mom is Chinese American and her dad is Japanese American.
“Both sides of the family have a long history in America,” she told us. In fact, her Chinese great-grandparents came to the United States to work on the first railroads. Morita completed some of her post-grad studies here at the University of Washington, where she shared her baked goods with her classmates, who encouraged her to get the word out to others.
“I started my blog in 2019 while on maternity leave with my firstborn because I was itching for something to do while off work.” Today, Morita blogs and lives on the Eastside with her husband and two daughters.
Morita’s cooking roots go back further than college. Her grandparents taught her how to cook and bake. Some of the most popular recipes on her blog are inherited from family and friends, such as Furikake Chex Mix and Chi Chi Dango *that’s a mochi dessert confection. There are multiple options to select from in every category, and many are flavored with traditional Asian ingredients. Just in the mochi category, on Morita’s site you will find, to name a few, “coconut mango mochi,” “Ube Pandan mochi,” “mandarin orange Daifuku mochi,” and “three layer mochi” (also called Girl’s Day Mochi). Recipes are grouped by food, heritage, or holiday, with a handy search bar and convenient recipe listings accompanied by mouth-watering photos.
There are not just sweets on “Mochi Mommy.” Morita also showcases savory recipes from her cultural background (including Hawai’i, where one of her Japanese great-grandparents was born), and gives tips on travel and other topics, such as Japanese beauty products. During the holiday season, Morita told us that her house is always “full of cookies.” It’s the perfect time to experiment with new recipes. Holiday celebrations for her are a mix of traditions. Christmas is “typical American fashion,” while New Year’s is “Japanese style, with a big family lunch and ozoni (mochi soup).” On New Year’s Day, Morita makes “things like deep fried wontons and lotus root chips” and eats soba noodles (because you cut them while eating, they represent “cutting” away last year’s misfortune and welcoming the new year’s good). But ozoni is her favorite.
“It just tastes good and is a really meaningful tradition in our community.” Due to their Chinese ancestry, her family also celebrates the Lunar New Year. Double New Year’s!
Let’s get some details on Morita’s Yuzu Thumbprint Cookies. “I thought yuzu would be a fun flavor to substitute in a classic thumbprint cookie recipe,” Morita shares on her blog. “Usually, thumbprint cookies are filled with jam, which, honestly, always tastes too sweet to me. The sharp tartness of yuzu really balances out the flavor better.” Not sure how to make the yuzu curd? Not to worry. Morita includes a recipe for that as well. She also includes suggestions on where to find yuzu juice. “These cookies are easy to make and bright with citrus flavor,” Morita assures.
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- Yuzu Thumbprint Cookies
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- Yuzu curd
Kristen Morita’s Yuzu Thumbprint Cookies**
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter (one stick) 113g
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 egg yolk, see note
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 125g
- 1/4 cup almond flour 25g, see notes
- 5 tsp yuzu curd (see Morita’s recipe or substitute lemon curd)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- With an electric or stand mixer, cream butter with sugar and salt until light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolk and almond extract and beat until homogenous.
- Add all-purpose flour and almond flour and gently mix until mixture comes together in a dough.
- Use a two tbsp cookie scoop or other spoon to roll small cookie dough balls and place on your prepared baking sheets.
- Gently press the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create small craters in the middle of each cookie.
- Scoop a rounded 1/4 teaspoon of yuzu curd into each crater.
- Chill cookies in the fridge for 20 minutes (see notes about whether you want to risk skipping this step).
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookie becomes lightly browned. Because of the curd, I keep these cookies in an airtight container in the fridge if not being eaten the day of baking. Allow cookies to come to room temperature before eating.
Notes
- If doubling this recipe, you can use one whole egg instead of two egg yolks.
- You can substitute more all-purpose flour for the almond flour if you wish. Almond flour gives the dough a more crumbly texture and prevents spreading. When I’ve made this recipe with almond flour, I have sometimes skipped chilling the dough. When I’ve made this recipe with all all-purpose flour, the cookies spread if the dough wasn’t chilled.
- If your kitchen is very warm or your butter is overly soft, you may need to chill the dough regardless of what flour you use.
**For the full explanation and recipe recommendations, go to www.mochimommy.com/yuzu-thumbprint-cookies. For the yuzu curd, go to www.mochimommy.com/yuzu-curd.
For more recipes and blogging by Morita, check out Mochi Mommy Blog and Instagram.
Kai can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.