Kashiwa Mochi

Kashiwamochi are rice cakes wrapped in kashiwa (Japanese oak) leaves. Kashiwamochi are traditional Japanese sweets eaten on Japanese Children's Day which is May 5th. This day is Japanese boy's festival called tangonosekku. It's traditionally the day to celebrate and pray for the health of boys.

Yield: 6 pieces
Ingredients:
3/4 cup joshinko (rice flour)
2 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp hot water
1 Tbsp katakuriko (potato starch), mixed with 2 Tbsp water
3/4 cup anko (sweet azuki bean paste)
*for decoration
6 store-bought kashiwa leaves, if available

Preparation:

Put joshinko rice flour and sugar in a bowl. Add hot water gradually and knead the dough until becomes as soft as ear lobes. Place a wet thin cotton cloth in a steamer. 

Divide the dough into small pieces and place on the cloth. Steam the dough for about 15-20 minutes over medium heat. Remove the steamed dough to a bowl and mash with a wooden pestle. When it's cooled down, knead the dough by hands. 

Add katakuriko and water mixture in the dough little by little, kneading by hands. Divide the dough into 6 balls. 

Flat each dough by hands and place a small ball of anko filling on the dough. Fold the dough in half to make a semicircular cake, sealing the edge. Repeat the process to make more rice cakes. 

Again, steam the rice cakes over high heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the rice cakes from the steamer and let them cool. 

Wrap each rice cake with a kashiwa leaf if available. Unwrap before eating the rice cake. Kawashiwa leaves are used for decoration.

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