I turned 27 last week! Though I have now been a person for, like, a bunch of years, I’m still figuring a lot of things out. Here are 27 of them:
- I don’t really know how to celebrate my birthday. I often find big parties a little bit stressful, but I also feel like I should do something. Goldilocks problems.
- And, I mean, aside from birthday celebrations, I also sort of don’t know what I want to do with my life.
- Whenever I sit down and try to think about it, I literally fall asleep. It’s like my body is trying to protect me.
- Sometimes I don’t feel like my body and I are on the same side, and it’s frustrating. This morning, when I went for my run, it felt like dragging my uncooperative legs through syrup.
- My mood was not improved by my getting passed (aggressively) by a man who passed me while pushing a double stroller.
- Speaking of strollers, it is freaking me out that my peers are having children, and I don’t know how to feel about it.
- For this reason, I have tried to stop going on Facebook, but I literally can’t stop.
- Other things I literally can’t stop doing: biting my nails/cuticles, eating these gross vanilla mints, shopping.
- I’m ghost carting some shoes right now and don’t know if I should get them. How many pairs of heels do I have that I never wear? Many. But what if these are the ones?
- … I bought the shoes. Whatever. I’m the worst at this.
- How much casual abuse of return policies is normal and acceptable, and how much is just shameful and not okay?
- I’m realizing now that 27 is a long list. I’m sorry.
- I admit I don’t know how to get a gif on Instagram.
- Or use Instagram effectively at all, for that matter, but I’m really trying to create a presence there to further food blog fame.
- Food blog success, there’s another thing I don’t know how to achieve.
- I suspect that in order to do so, I need a “schtick,” but much like the rest of my life (see #2), I have had a hard time defining my blog cooking aesthetic.
- And, for that matter, the general theme also eludes me. I like making the occasional life update post, too, and I have had a weird urge to masquerade as a fashion blogger lately.
- This is a bit ironic because, dressing like an adult, there’s an entire category of life that I am still figuring out.
- Related to that, and, shopping, I’m on the lookout for outerwear that’s snuggly like a hoody but also acceptable to wear outside of the house.
- Maybe this defies physics and does not exist.
- You know what defies cake physics? This mochi cake. (See what I did there?)
- It’s somehow both dense and light at the same time. It’s chewy and sticky, but also smooth?
- It’s inscrutable, and you should try it, because it’s also delicious.
- I made myself cupcakes out of them for my birthday, and I then had to give most of them away because they were very dangerous to have around.
- Another thing I did for my birthday was go paint ceramics (like an 8 year old, yes), drink a lot of sangria, and chain eat these guys, strawberry rhubarb galette, and sourdough and cheese.
- I also promptly forgot my real camera, so, let’s welcome the triumphant return of phone photos and a visual reminder of still figuring it out.
- This recipe does have it figured out: matcha, coconut, a intriguing and enticing texture, and topped with whipped cream because birthday (or just day).
Matcha & Coconut Mochi Cupcakes
Adapted from Kendra Vaculin and black dog
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons), at room temperature
4 tablespoons coconut oil
4 eggs
12 oz can evaporated milk
14 oz can coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups glutinous rice flour, like Mochiko (available at Japanese markets)
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoon matcha powder
1 big handful of shredded coconut
This recipe makes at least 24 cupcakes, so scale as needed.
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
In a large bowl, beat butter, coconut oil, and eggs together until smooth, using a whisk or electric mixer. Then add the milks and the vanilla, stirring to combine.
Then, add the rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and matcha, taking care to mix the dry ingredients in thoroughly to avoid clumps. The batter will resemble a very thick pancake batter. Scale the sugar and matcha amounts to taste — I liked a lot of matcha and less sugar.
Very generously oil or spray two cupcake cupcake pan, or, use liners. Scoop the batter into the tins, filling them just more than halfway. If you’d like smaller, flatter mochi, more like biscuits or cookies, use an additional cupcake pan and fill about 1/3 of the way.
Top with shredded coconut.
Bake for about an hour, until the edges are browned and pulling away. You may need to make a foil tent to prevent the coconut from browning too much while baking.
Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature, and add additional toppings (whipped cream?) if desired.