Japanese cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Sakura Mochi

Pink-tinted rice cake with sweet red bean paste, wrapped in a salted cherry leaf.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 150 g glutinous rice flour
• 50 g rice flour
• 100 g sugar
• 300 ml water
• 2 drops red food coloring
• 300 g sweet red bean paste (anko)
• 12 pickled cherry leaves (sakura leaves, from an Asian grocery)
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

1. Soak the pickled cherry leaves in cold water for 20 min. to release the salt, then pat dry and set aside; roll the bean paste into twelve balls.
2. Mix glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar and a pinch of salt, stir in the water and add the food coloring drop by drop until a pale pink, lump-free batter forms.
3. Steam the batter covered over boiling water for 15–18 min., stirring vigorously twice, until the mass turns glossy, translucent and falls stretchily from the spatula.
4. Turn the hot dough out onto a surface dusted with cornstarch, let it cool briefly, divide into twelve equal pieces and flatten each into an oval about 10 cm long.
5. Set an anko ball in the center of each oval, fold the dough loosely over from both long sides and shape it into an oval roll without sealing it completely.
6. Wrap each mochi in a cherry leaf — the leaf is eaten too — and serve the sakura mochi the same day at room temperature with green tea.