Kanto-style Sakuramochi

Sakuramochi is a sweet rice cake which is traditionally eaten on Japanese Girls' Day. There are some kinds of sakuramochi in Japan. This is a recipe to make Kanto-style (eastern Japan) sakuramochi.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp shiratamako (glutinous rice flour)
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup anko (sweet bean paste)
*red food color
8 store sold, salt pickled sakura (Japanese cherry tree) leaves

How To Make:

Wash salted sakura leaves in water and dry them with paper towel. Make 8 anko balls and set aside. Put shiratamako flour in a bowl and add water in the bowl gradually, stirring. Dissolve a little bit of red food color in the water. Further, add sugar in the bowl and stir well. Sift flour in another bowl. Add the colored liquid to the flour gradually, stirring. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Make thin oval-shaped pancakes. Wrap each anko ball with a pan cake, further wrap it with a sakura leaf.