Girls’ Day, also known as Hinamatsuri, is a special day in Japan for families to celebrate young girls and pray for their health and happiness.

Observed on March 3 each year, the holiday is when girls are gifted with elaborate dolls wearing silk kimono, and when hishi mochi, diamond-shaped mochi with pink, white and green layers, is eaten to symbolize purity and fertility.

In Hawaii, many Japanese and Okinawan families celebrate Hinamatsuri with trinkets for their daughters and granddaughters.

This week, celebrate Hinamatsuri with a few local mochi recipes, including two off our 2020 list of most popular Electric Kitchen recipes, butter and pumpkin mochi.

BUTTER MOCHI

• 1 pound mochiko (Japanese glutinous rice flour)
• 3 cups sugar
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can evaporated milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan or two 8-inch-square pans.

In a large bowl, combine mochiko, sugar and baking powder. Add remaining ingredients and mix well with a whisk.

Pour into greased pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes; cool and cut into 24 pieces.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 260 calories, 9 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 27 g sugar, 3 g protein.

PUMPKIN MOCHI

• 1 pound plus 1/4 cup mochiko
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 (29-ounce) can pumpkin puree, unseasoned
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13-by-9-inch pan.

In large bowl, combine mochiko, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon; set aside.

In another large bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, condensed milk, butter and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour into greased pan and bake 1 hour. Cool 2 to 3 hours, then cut into 24 pieces.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 290 calories, 11 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 27 g sugar, 5 g protein.

MOCHI ICE CREAM

• 1-1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup mochiko flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• A few drops of food coloring (optional)
• Cornstarch for dusting

Line cookie sheet with parchment. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop a ball of ice cream (or measure out a 2-tablespoon ball) and place on sheet. Make 12 balls and place sheet in freezer.

In large microwave-safe bowl, combine mochiko, sugar and water. Cover with plastic wrap and heat in microwave 1 minute. Whisk to remove any lumps. Re-cover and heat in microwave for another minute.

Dip a rubber spatula in water and stir mixture. Cover again with plastic wrap and microwave 30 seconds.

Mixture will be a sticky dough. Add food coloring, if using, and mix to disperse color evenly.

Place a large piece of parchment on a flat surface and cover with a generous dusting of cornstarch. Using a wet spatula, scrape dough onto parchment. Roll out dough into a 12-by-14-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Continue to dust top and bottom of dough with cornstarch to prevent sticking.

Once dough is rolled out, place parchment on cookie sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes to set.

Using a 3-3/4-inch circle cutter, cut out 12 circles. Pick up a circle, brush excess cornstarch from each side and top with an ice cream ball. Press edges together to seal ice cream inside dough. Working quickly, repeat with remaining dough and ice cream.

Wrap each ball with plastic wrap and return to freezer for at least 2 hours to set. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Makes 12.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 140 calories, 4.5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 10 g sugar, 2 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.