On Valentine’s Day in Japan, the women give all the men in their lives chocolate. If the recipient is a co-worker, or someone the woman sees casually, she gives him giri choco (obligation chocolate). Giri choco is cheap and can be bought at stores everywhere.

The man a woman has special feelings for receives honmei choco (prospective winner chocolate). Honmei choco is a superior variety of chocolate and can either be bought or handmade. Men who get handmade sweets from a woman know where they stand in her affections: at the top!

Female friends also get chocolate in the way of tomo choco (friend chocolate), but the main recipients of Valentine’s Day goodies are the men. However, the men don’t return the favor of giving chocolate or gifts to their lady friends on this day–they do it a month later on White Day (March 14th).

Chocolate Covered Cherry Daifuku

Makes 10

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups mochiko
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 Tbl. plus 1 tsp corn syrup
* 1 tsp. almond extract
* red food coloring
* potato, corn or wheat starch for dusting
* 10 maraschino cherries, rinsed and patted dry
* 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, minced

Preparation:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate on high in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture and return to microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Mix again. Repeat the steps until the chocolate is melted.
2. Dip the cherries in the melted chocolate and coat them well. Drop them onto a plate lined with wax paper and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes.
3. After the cherries have been in the freezer for 15 minutes, make the mochi by whisking together the mochiko, sugar, water, 1 Tbl. corn syrup and extract. Remove 1/2 cup of the mochiko mixture and tint it a desired shade of red or pink with the food coloring. Set aside.
4. Dust a clean work surface liberally with starch. Keep a bowl filled with starch handy for dusting your hands and any utensils used. Place the tsp. of corn syrup in a small bowl and keep it nearby.
5. In a medium saucepan, cook the uncolored mochiko mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Spoon some of the cooked mochi onto the dusted work surface. With either a well dusted rolling pin or with well dusted hands, carefully roll or pat the hot mochi to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness, depending on your preference. Cut out circles two and half times as big as the chocolate cherries.
6. Place a well chilled chocolate cherry in the center of each of the mochi circles. Quickly wrap the mochi circle around the cherry, pinching the bottom to seal it. If you’ve having problems smoothing or sealing the bottom, use a tiny bit of warm water to seal up the mochi. Place the finished mochi on plate dusted with starch. If the mochi cools too much when you’re working with it, heat it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
7. For the hearts, repeat Step 5 with the pink mochi, but cut out hearts instead of circles.
8. To decorate the mochi, you can:

* Attach the hearts to the finished mochi with a dab of corn syrup.
* Coat the finished mochi in the leftover chocolate.
* Wrap some cherries in pink mochi and make white hearts for contrast.
* Drizzle some chocolate over the finished mochi.
* Sprinkle colored sugar onto the warm mochi then form the balls.

Strawberry Daifuku

How to make Strawberry Daifuku

Sources:

Chocolate covered chocolate daifuku recipe and photo, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daifuku and http://theanimeblog.com/japanese-culture-links/chocolate-covered-cherry-daifuku

Strawberry daifuku video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cv5LsqKUXc&feature=channel