Sea Buckthorn Mochi with White Chocolate & Strawberry Ganache
If you love the contrast of tart and sweet, this mochi is your new dessert muse. The soft, stretchy dough gets a citrusy lift from sea buckthorn juice, while the centre is a silky white-chocolate ganache scented with real strawberries—roasted or macerated for deeper character. It’s a playful bite that still feels grown-up, perfect for afternoon tea, a dinner party finish, or a make-ahead treat to keep in the freezer.Makes: 10–12 small mochi (25–30 g each)Good for: Make-ahead; keeps well refrigerated or frozen
Equipment
- 1 Digital scale (accurate measurements for ganache + mochi)
- 1 Oven, preheated to 350°F / 180°C (for roasting strawberries)
- 1 Rimmed baking sheet + parchment or a silicone mat (for roasting strawberries)
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl (for macerating strawberries)
- 1 Stick blender (or fork) for the strawberry purée
- 1 Measuring spoons
- 1 Microwave safe bowl (for heating cream, strawberries and white chocolate)
- 1 Heatproof/microwave-safe bowl (for mochi batter)
- 1 Microwave
- 1 Silicone spatula (non-stick, for stirring mochi and ganache)
- 1 Whisk (to emulsify the ganache)
- 1 Tray or small baking sheet (to chill/hold ganache balls)
- 1 Small scoop or teaspoon (to portion ganache)
- 1 Rolling Pin (optional; hands work fine to press discs)
- 1 Airtight container (for storing finished mochi in the fridge or freezer)
Ingredients
White Chocolate & Strawberry Ganache (Filling)
- 100 g White chocolate, finely chopped
- 35 g Heavy cream
- 40 g Strawberry purée (roasted or macerated preferred; see below)
- 1-2 tsp Sugar optional and to taste
- 10 g Butter optional for extra silkiness
- Pinch of salt
Sea Buckthorn Mochi (Microwave Method)
- 100 g Sweet glutinous rice flour (Mochiko)
- 70-80 ml Sea buckthorn juice (adjust based on thickness)
- 30 g Sugar (add a touch more if your juice is very tart)
- Cornstarch or potato starch (for dusting work surface and hands)
- 60 ml Water (add as much as needed)
Instructions
White Chocolate & Strawberry Ganache (Filling)
- Prep the purée.
- Roasted: Toss hulled strawberries with a tiny pinch of sugar (optional). Roast at 350°F / 180°C for ~20 minutes until syrupy; cool, then mash or blend.
- Macerated: Toss sliced strawberries with 1–2 tsp sugar. Rest 15 minutes, then mash or blend.
- Warm & melt. Heat the cream + strawberry purée together until steaming. Pour over the chopped chocolate. Rest 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
- Finish. Stir in butter (if using) and a pinch of salt. Taste; add a little sugar only if needed. Chill until scoopable, then portion into 10–12 balls (about 10–12 g each). Keep cold.
- Tip: If the ganache is too soft to roll, chill longer or briefly pop it in the freezer until firm but pliable.
Sea Buckthorn Mochi (Microwave Method)
- Mix. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and sea buckthorn juice until smooth and lump-free. The batter should be thick but pourable—add a teaspoon of juice if it feels pasty.
- Microwave-cook. Heat on HIGH in 30-second intervals, stirring well in between, 2–3 minutes total, until the dough is thick, glossy, and slightly translucent.
- Cool & portion. Generously dust a board with starch. Turn out the hot mochi, dust the top, and let cool until warm-to-the-touch. Divide into 10–12 pieces.
- No microwave? Steam the batter (covered) for 18–20 minutes, stirring once halfway.
Assemble
- Flatten. Roll the dough into a sheet approximately 4 to 5 mm thick. Use a round cookie cutter or small cup to cut out circles. Working one piece at a time (keep the rest covered), press or roll a mochi disc to ~7–8 cm wide. Dust off excess starch from the inside surface so it can seal.
- Fill. Place a cold ganache ball in the centre.
- Seal. Stretch edges up and over the filling, pinching to close. Flip seam-side down and cup in your palms to round.
- Chill. Refrigerate 20–30 minutes to set before serving. For a soft, bouncy bite, let sit at room temperature 5–10 minutes before eating.
Pro Tips for Success
- Control the tartness. Sea buckthorn juice varies. Taste the batter; a little extra sugar is fine if your juice is very tangy.Work cool. Keep ganache balls well-chilled so they don’t ooze while wrapping.Light hands, quick moves. Mochi is easier to handle warm; keep your hands lightly dusted and work with one piece at a time.Don’t over-dust. Excess starch can keep seams from sealing. Dust the outside, not the seam.
Notes
Whole batch
- Base recipe (no butter, no extra sugar in ganache):~1,168 kcal, 45.8 g fat (27.3 g sat), 177.8 g carbs, 93.5 g sugars, 2.0 g fibre, 13.3 g protein.
- Enriched (adds 10 g butter + 8 g sugar to ganache):~1,271 kcal, 53.9 g fat (32.4 g sat), 185.9 g carbs, 101.5 g sugars, 2.0 g fibre, 13.3 g protein.