Peanut Butter Mochi
3 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (16 ounce) box mochiko (sweet rice flour)
Katakuriko (potato starch), for dusting
Filling
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
To make filling, combine peanut butter and honey; refrigerate until firm, a few hours or overnight.
Bring water to a boil; add sugar and stir until dissolved.
Add mochiko a little at a time, stirring constantly.
Continue stirring over medium heat until lumps are dissolved.
Place dough on a surface dusted with katakuriko.
Allow to cool slightly.
Sprinkle with more katakuriko and knead a few times until smooth.
Form into a log.
Pinch off a 1 1/2-inch piece of dough and flatten into a circle. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center.
Fold edges around filling and pinch to seal.
Makes about 2 dozen mochi.
Variations: For strawberry mochi, coat strawberries in koshi-an (sweet bean paste), then wrap in mochi dough.
Add red food coloring to the boiling water if desired to turn the dough pink.
For chocolate-peanut butter mochi, substitute chocolate sauce for the honey in the filling, or wrap a chocolate Kiss in the filling.
