Peanut Butter Mochi

3 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (16 ounce) box mochiko (sweet rice flour)
Katakuriko (potato starch), for dusting

Filling:
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey

To make filling, combine peanut butter and honey; refrigerate until firm, a few hours or overnight.

Bring water to a boil; add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add mochiko a little at a time, stirring constantly. Continue stirring over medium heat until lumps are dissolved.

Place dough on a surface dusted with katakuriko. Allow to cool slightly. Sprinkle with more katakuriko and knead a few times until smooth. Form into a log.

Pinch off a 1 1/2-inch piece of dough and flatten into a circle. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center. Fold edges around filling and pinch to seal.

Makes about 2 dozen mochi.

Variations: For strawberry mochi, coat strawberries in koshi-an (sweet bean paste), then wrap in mochi dough. Add red food coloring to the boiling water if desired to turn the dough pink. For chocolate-peanut butter mochi, substitute chocolate sauce for the honey in the filling, or wrap a chocolate Kiss in the filling.