Daifuku mochi is a japanese confection made with glutinous rice flour, sugar, water, which is then wrapped around a filling. Usually, these treats are filled with red bean, sesame seed, or a peanut paste. Some bakeshops even sell them wrapped in a strawberry!
Even though I’ve visited Japan multiple times in the past, I’ve never really tried their traditional daifuku there; I just remember me as a kid eating a whole lot of sushi while I was there on vacation with my family.
My first real encounter with this japanese confection around two years ago when I set foot in a small, local bakery run by Japanese ladies called Cake-Ya. Cake-Ya is a quaint local business located in the suburban city of Port Moody, approximately an hour away from downtown Vancouver. From chestnut cakes, to their well-known red bean daifukus, the bakery bakes fresh treats daily. They sure don’t skimp on ingredients either; their chestnut cake bursts with chestnut cream and is probably my favourite thing in the world (cake-wise). I even convinced Leung to order that particular chestnut cake as her birthday cake that year, since she is a chestnut fan as well. Their daifukus are large and are filled with their sweet red bean paste they make in-house. If you’re around the tri-city area or around Vancouver, be sure to check them out!
Upon tasting the chewy delicious daifuku treats, I knew that I had to craft up a recipe that was fool-proof, quick, and easy to make. Because I really like dark chocolate, I wanted to experiment my dark chocolate recipe as the filling of my daifuku. And what pairs better with dark chocolate than the warm aroma of coffee beans that we are all so reliant upon in our daily lives? The result? Sticky, chewy, and luxurious with the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate filling.
- FOR THE MOCHI
- 1 c. glutinous rice flour
- 1 tsp. stevia leaf powder
- 1 c. freshly brewed coffee (2 tbsp instant coffee granules + 1 c. hot water)
- FOR THE FILLING
- 9 tbsp. cacao powder
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup, room temperature
- 4 tbsp. coconut oil
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- 2-3 tbsp almond milk, warmed
- For the filling, measure all the filling ingredients in a small bowl and mix until the dark chocolate mixture forms. The dark chocolate shouldn't be runny, but it will further firm up in the freezer.
- Put it in the freezer to chill while you prepare the mochi.
- For the mochi, measure and combine the dry ingredients in a medium microwave-safe glass bowl.
- Add in the brewed coffee, and mix until there are little or no lumps.
- Put the bowl in the microwave on high for 1 minute 15 seconds. If your microwave has a lower frequency, you may have to add a few seconds for the mochi to firm up and solidify.
- When you take out the bowl out of the microwave, you should see that most of the mochi has been solidified, leaving just a small puddle of uncooked mixture sitting in the middle. Using a spoon, mix the uncooked mixture with the sticky mochi. The remaining heat will cook it through.
- Dust your working surface and your hands generously with cornstarch, as the mixture is very sticky. If your hands allow, you can work with the mochi immediately. If not, you can stick the mochi in the freezer for a quick cool down before moving on to the next step.
- Put mochi onto your dusted surface and flatten with your hands until thin, around 3-5mm. You can use a rolling pin dusted with cornstarch if you desire, but it isn't necessary. I like my mochi to have a very thin skin (2-3mm) and a whole lot of filling, but it would be harder to work with.
- Cut your flattened mochi into approximate 5cm by 5 cm squares, or adjust size to your preference.
- Taking out your prepare filling out of the fridge, scoop in 1 tbsp. of filling into each daifuku mochi.
- Wrap the daifuku mochi around the filling until you form a uniform ball.
- Place them into mini muffin liners or a container. Continue until all daifuku mochi is complete!
- Store in the fridge, covered for up to 3-4 days.
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