Daifuku/Mochi Recipe

It is easy to make Daifuku by yourself. Especially, it is so convenient to make mochi by using microwave. You can change the filling to make various daifuku or mochi!

Ingredients:

-8 strawberries
-120g glutinous rice flour(糯米粉)
-30g sugar
-200g water
-some tapioca starch(太白粉for dusting)
-some bed bean paste(小倉brand)

Directions:

A.dusting powder

-Put the tapioca starch on a plate and microwave it for 1 minute. Then take it out, stirring well and heat for another 1 minute.
-Cool the starch and set aside.

B.the fillings

1. Wash the strawberries and remove the stems.
2. In order to be wrapped easily, use strainer to drain off excess water of the red bean paste.
3. Wrap every strawberry with red bean paste into a ball.
   

C. mochi

1. Place the glutinous rice flour, sugar and water in a microwavable container, and mix well. Cover the container with plastic wrap. Put the dough into a microwave and heat for 2 mins, and then, take it out. Parts of the batter will start to cook and solidify, stirring well again, and heat for another 2 mins. Now, the dough becomes mochi!
   
2. The mochi is very hot and sticky. So, be careful not to burn your hands. Divide the mochi into 8 pieces. Dust your hands and the every divided mochi with tapioca starch (B) to keep your fingers from getting sticky. Press the pieces into round shape.
   
3. Place the filling (A) on the divided mochi. Round and stretch it to enclose the filling. Remember to keep dusting your hands with tapioca starch.
   

Here comes your own Strawberry Daifuku !

First cooking club gathering

We gathered at my place, and it was my first time I had a group of people at my place for dinner. I was excited and nervous. We talked from sunset to midnight, from Erin's better-than-CSI prosecutor experience to... I can't remember... lasik surgery?

We had,
- Asparagus and arugula wrapped with prosciutto, with red wine vinaigrette

- Pizza: sausage pizza and shrimp pizza. We totally overloaded with toppings. The second pizza came out a bit soggier, and I'm guessing that the dough started to deflate after being left in the warm temperature about 40 mins after the first one is made.

- Erin made this lovely strawberry daifuku (草莓大福). The red bean paste is just right - not saccharine at all. 

Oh and I made mojitos for everyone - even Lynn liked it :)