My column a couple of weeks back about lemon butter mochi made with packaged pudding sparked a rash of requests for different flavors of butter mochi recipes (melon??).

One e-mail came from Lynell Yuu, who said she liked the lemon mochi, and offered a recipe she got from friends at work, a free-form butter mochi from which you can make many varieties. This one has no pudding. Lynell said she likes making banana mochi, but her co-workers weren't so enthusiastic. "I guess banana is not a common mochi flavor?" she wrote. I don't know, but I'll try it and see!

BAKED MOCHI

1 (16-ounce) box sweet rice flour (mochiko)

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

3 cups moist ingredients (evaporated milk, coconut milk, fruit pie filling, fresh chopped fruit or any combination of liquid and fruit or coconut)*

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix above ingredients. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. (Lynell recommends Crisco). Pour into baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Makes 16 servings.