Hi Guys, I miss you Guys so much. Hope you and your family are healthy and safe during these uncertain and unprecedented times.
Today we are making these Puffy Bear Ichigo Daifuku or commonly known as Strawberry Mochi.
Daifuku is a popular traditional Japanese sweet and there are many varieties of Daifuku. They usually come with the same soft and chewy mochi exterior with different stuffing.
During the springtime, Japanese confectionery shops sell a seasonal Strawberry Mochi called Ichigo Daifuku with a whole strawberry as the filling.
The combination of fresh juicy strawberry, sweet bean paste and soft chewy mochi is a match in heaven.
They are smooth and springy, a nostalgic reminder of my childhood and all the happy memories in Japan.
Instead of sweet bean paste as a filling, I’m gonna show you how to make my homemade chocolate paste, which is very delicious and match perfectly with these lovely strawberry mochi.
The chocolate paste has supper deep rich chocolaty flavor, it’s really easy to make and tastes great on everything specially for bread filling.
Making daifuku is very much like a craft. The process can be fun and Soothing.
When working with mochi dough, make sure that you do not stretch it too thin to prevent tearing.
Pick fresh strawberries and also choose medium small round ones, because they are easy to handle and look cute when wrapped with bean paste and mochi.
You can use any type of strawberries which is available in your country. I personally fall in love with Korean Strawberry, because wherever I eat strawberry; the taste is never be so great like this, it’s light yet smooth juicy texture gives an excellent balance with unique berry fragrance and sweetness.
Japanese sweets “Daifuku” are best served with green tea, matcha green tea, or you could try matcha latte and hojicha as well.
I hope you enjoy making Strawberry Mochi. Take care and stay safe everyone! Love you all!!
PUFFY BEAR ICHIGO DAIFUKU (STRAWBERRY MOCHI)
Yield: 6 pieces
Active time: 1 hours
Total time: 3 hours
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Paste:
- 60 grams Granulated Sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Milk Powder
- 20 grams Unsalted Butter
- 25 grams Cocoa Powder
- 75 grams Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (optional)
Mochi Dough:
- 100 grams Glutinous Rice Flour
- 10 grams Tapioca Starch
- 20 grams Corn Starch
- 200 grams Milk
- 80 grams Granulated Sugar
- 5 grams Vegetable Oil
- A pinch of Salt
- Food Colouring (Brown and Red)
Assembly:
- 6 Pieces Medium Strawberry
- Potato or Corn Starch
- Melted White Chocolate or White Food Colouring
INSTRUCTIONS
Strawberry Chocolate Filling
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar, milk powder, unsalted butter, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix it all through until no lumps remain.
- Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and it’s forms a smooth paste.
- Take it off from the heat, pour it into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for about 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, divide the chocolate paste into 25 grams balls. Flatten the chocolate paste and place a strawberry on the center.
Wrap the strawberry with the chocolate paste and shape it back into an oval shape, cover each strawberry chocolate with a cling wrap (like a piece of candy).
Store them in a fridge to set for 1 hour.
Mochi Dough
- In a microwave proof bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch, along with milk and sugar. Mix that all through.
Add in the vegetable oil, mix well until well combined and completely smooth. - Cover the bowl loosely with cling wrap and microwave it on 1000 Watt for 1 minute. After one minute, removed the bowl from the microwave and stir (you can see the mixture will be still runny and floury).
- Once you’ve stirred well, put the bowl back into microwave for another 1 minute. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir again (by now, it should look partly floury and partly should be starting to resemble mochi texture).
- Cover again and microwave it for the last time, for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. The colour of the mochi should change from white to almost translucent.
Stir well with a spatula (temperatures may vary, if centers still runny and undercooking, add cooking time for a few second). If the mochi has a translucent texture, that’s means it’s done. - Mochi pounding; cover the work surface with large cling wrap and brush some vegetable oil to prevent stickiness, apply some oil to all areas that will contact with the hot dough and then transfer the hot cooked mochi on top, cover it with plastic wrap.
Gently use tapping and rolling method with a rolling pin to even out the thickness, fold it into thirds (it’s very similar to folding on a letter that goes in an envelope or laminated dough process in making pastry).
Repeat the tapping rolling and folding action for about 9 more times to create a smooth dough.
To finish the process, I just wrap the dough, roll into a log, and then transfer it into the fridge (2 hours) or freezer (45 minutes).
Assembly and Decoration
- Prepare some potato or corn starch for coating purpose (if you are worried about eating raw starch, you can heat the starch in the pan for about 5 minutes).
- Cover the work surface with large cling wrap and brush some vegetable oil to the surface and scraper to prevent stickiness. Don’t forget to also put some oil and starch on your hands to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Divide mochi dough into 60 grams each, round it into a ball. Using rolling pin and place a piece of cling wrap on top of the dough, gently flatten and roll it into 3-inch diameter disc, make sure that the middle is slightly thicker that the edge of the dough (please note that the smooth surface underneath will be the outer skin of the head).
- Place one portion of the strawberry chocolate paste filling at the center of the mochi disc, start covering the strawberry from all sides and use your thumb to hold the mochi on top, gather the mochi and pinch together to complete seal the filling.
Gently shape the mochi as oval as possible, and then cut off the excess mochi dough underneath. Repeat this process for the rest of Daifuku.
*You can dust off the excess potato or corn starch with a pastry brush, or if you find some sticky part, cover the area with starch first and then dust off. - For decorations and details; colour some dough with dark brown, soft pink and deep pink.
– Roll some white and soft pink dough for the ears, 2 pieces each and stick it together, cut the edge of the ears, brush some water and stick it to the head.
– For the cheek, cut some soft pink dough with small round cutter.
– For the nose, cut some deep pink dough with my tiny small heart cutter.
– Using dark brown dough to create the eyes and mouth expression.
– Add the spark of the eyes and teeth with some melted white chocolate or white food colouring.
NOTES
- Steaming Method: If you’re using a steamer, cover the steamer lid with a towel so the condensation won’t drop into the mochi mixture. Put the bowl into a steamer basket and cover to cook for 20-30 minutes. Half way cooking, stir with spatula and cover to finish cooking. The color of mochi should change from white to almost translucent.
- The daifuku keep well for a day or two in the refrigerator.