Kansai-style Sakuramochi

Sakuramochi is a pink and sweet rice cake. It's traditionally eaten on Japanese Girls' Day. There are various kinds of sakuramochi in Japan. This is a recipe to make the Kansai-style (western Japan) sakuramochi.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup domyojiko flour (glutinous rice flour)
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup koshian (sweet bean paste)
*red food color
8 store sold, salt pickled sakura (Japanese cherry tree) leaves

How To Make:

Wash pickled sakura leaves and dry them with paper towels. Make 8 anko balls and set aside. Boil water in a pan and stop the heat. Add a little bit of red food color in the water. Put domyojiko flour and stir well. Let it soak about 5 minutes. Place a wet cloth in a steamer and spread the dough on the cloth. Steam the dough for about 15-20 minutes over medium heat, until done. Carefully remove the steamed dough to a bowl. Mash the dough slightly with a wooden pestle, mixing sugar in. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Flat each rice ball by hands and place an anko ball on top. Wrap the anko with the rice cake and rounds by hands. Wrap each rice cake with a sakura leaf.
Makes 8 pieces