Strawberry Mochi Daifuku Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients Needed
For Filling
- 6 x 18g/0.6oz strawberries
- 360g/12.7ozs red bean paste, chilled divided into 6 x 60g/2oz balls
For Mochi
- 150g/5oz mochi or glutinous rice flour
- 75g/2.6oz caster or superfine sugar
- 225ml/8fl oz water
- Pink food colouring
- 1 teaspoon oil (coconut oil works well)
- Potato flour/starch for rolling
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 STRAWBERRIES - Wash, dry and trim the strawberries so that they sit completely flat and level. Take a ball of red bean paste (60g/2oz per strawberry) and shape it into a ball and then flatten it. Place one strawberry (1 strawberry) pointy side down and envelop with the red bean paste on all sides. Place on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries and red bean (washing hands between each one). Smooth over the sides and then place in the freezer to firm up (freeze for maximum 20 minutes).
Step 2 DOUGH - In a microwave proof bowl, whisk the mochi flour (150g/5oz) with the caster sugar (75g/2.6oz) and then whisk in the water (225ml/8fl oz). Add a little food colouring using a toothpick (do not use the dropper, the colour will be too strong). Whisk the colour in until you get a pale pink. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and re-cover and microwave for another 1 minute. Then stir and recover and cook in 20 second bursts until the dough turns from opaque to semi translucent. Add in the oil (1 teaspoon) and stir using a stiff spatula.
Step 3 ROLL - Dust a chopping board or surface with potato starch and place the dough on this. Divide into 6x60g/2oz portions (you will likely have more than this but having more is better than less, especially the first time you make it). Roll dough (60g/2oz per mochi) into balls and then using a small rolling pin, roll out into 10cm/4inch circles and then allow to cool for 5-10 minutes until completely cool.
Step 4 WRAP - Lightly flour your hands and a plate with potato flour. Take one mochi disc and see which side looks better (there's always one). Place one strawberry (1 strawberry) pointy side down and then gather the edges to come together and gently twist them to stick them together. Place the finished mochi on the floured plate. Repeat with the remaining mochi and strawberries. Mochi is best served on the day that it is made.
Personal Note
Normally, I usually try to give away sweets to my neighbours especially ones like this as they are best eaten on the day. However one person stopped me from doing that.
"Have you finished taking pics?" Mr NQN asked me. I had put down my camera and was about to sit down to go through the photos.
"Can I have them?" he said edging closer to the plate. "Sure, take this plate," I said offering him the plate with 2 daifuku cut in half. "How about those?" he said gesturing towards a bigger plate with 4 of them.
And that Dear Reader is how Mr NQN devoured six of these daifuku one afternoon!
So tell me Dear Reader, how many do you think you coudl eat in one go? Do you like mochi?