Kashiwa Mochi / 柏餅
Celebrate Children's Day with this Kashiwa Mochi recipe: a traditional Japanese sweet rice cake with red bean filling and wrapped in an oak leaf.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz joshinko rice flour
- 1 tbsp corn starch or potato starch
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 c water
- 4 tbsp koshi-an sweet red bean paste
- 4 pickled oak leaves
Instructions
- Rinse pickled oak leaves and dry with a paper towel or towel. Set aside.
- In a bowl, add joshinko, corn starch, and sugar. Mix to combine.
- Add water and mix until combined fully.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Mix the mochi mixture. Microwave again on high for 30 seconds. Then mix the mixture again. Repeat once again (for a total of 3 times, or 1 min 30 seconds).
- *You can skip this step if you don't have anything to pound the mochi* Using a pestle, dip in water and pound the mochi so it becomes glossy.
- Once the mochi has cooled slightly, transfer to a surface that is dusted with corn starch. Knead the mochi with wet hands until the surface is glossy and smooth.
- Roll the mochi into an even log and cut into 4 even pieces. Roll each piece into a round ball and set aside. Cover the mochi balls with a damp towel so they don't dry out.
- With a small rolling pin, roll one mochi out into an oblong/oval shape.
- Take one tbsp of red bean paste and roll it into a ball. Place it in the center of the rolled out mochi. Fold the mochi over to close and pinch around the edges to seal and mold into a nice shape.
- Wrap the mochi in an oak leaf (vein-side facing out).
- Repeat for the rest of the mochi and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe by Sylvia Wakana (http://sylviawakana.com)