Ichigo Ankodama

Ingredient	10 Balls	10 Balls
shiroan	5 oz.	150g
azuki koshian	5 oz.	150g
strawberries	10 medium	10 medium
kinako	to coat	to coat
kuromitsu	to top	to top

Strawberries feature prominently in many Japanese confections, and with good reason—they pair marvelously with anko sweet bean paste as in this simple dessert. In ichigo ankodama (“strawberry sweet bean balls”), the bright flavor of the strawberries offsets the heavy sweetness of the anko. Drizzling them with kuromitsu syrup when you eat them adds complexity and delicious flavor contrast. You can cover the berries completely, or leave the strawberry peeking out adds a dramatic dot of color.

Preparation

Prepare azuki koshian.
Prepare shiroan.
Wash, dry, and hull strawberries.

Directions

Make balls of bean paste.
Divide the shiroan and azuki koshian into five equal portions of each, about 30g (1 oz.) each. Roll into balls.
Wrap strawberries in bean paste.
Flatten the balls of shiroan and koshian into disks, then wrap a disk around each strawberry. You can either cover completely or let the tip of the strawberry poke out for added color.
Coat with kinako.
Roll the balls in kinako to coat. Serve with kuromitsu to drizzle on top.

Notes

Ichigo ankodama cut in half to show the strawberry

Leftover anko can be frozen.