Ichigo Choco Daifuku

Makes about 10

10 whole fresh strawberries, washed, dried and leafy tops cut off

Chocolate ganache (adapted from Marcel Desaulnier's Death by Chocolate)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon sugar

170g (6oz.) bittersweet chocolate pieces

Heat the cream, butter and sugar in a small saucepan until just boiling. In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate pieces and pour the hot cream mixture over them. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for about 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Mix the chocolate until all the cream is incorporated and the mixture is slightly thick. Dip each strawberry into the ganache until thoroughly covered and remove with a fork to a parchment covered pan. Chill the chocolate covered strawberries in the refrigerator until the mochi is ready.

Daifuku Mochi (adated from a recipe by Setsuko Yoshizuka)

200 g (2 cups) shiratamako

300 ml (1 1/3 cup) water

100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

Cornstarch, for dusting hands and pan

Have a pan or plate dusted with cornstarch ready and set aside. In a heatproof bowl, combine sugar and shiratamako. With a rubber spatula, gradually add the water until the mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes. Stir the mixture with the rubber spatula until the entire mixture is thick and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 2 minutes more or until the mixture puffs up and is slightly translucent. Stir quickly and with hands dusted generously with cornstarch, form the hot, sticky mixture into 10 rounds and place on the prepared pan.

Take the chocolate covered strawberries out of the refrigerator. Take one mochi round and flatten the edges of the mochi to keep the center of the mochi thick. Place one strawberry, pointy side down, into the thick center of the mochi round. Gently wrap the soft mochi around the flat side of the strawberry and pinch to close. Repeat with remaining strawberries and mochi rounds.