Pour 250g cold heavy cream into a chilled mixing bowl. Add 25g white sugar.

Using an electric hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium speed. Start slow to avoid splashing, then increase to medium-high. Continue whipping until the cream reaches stiff peaks.

Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (or just snip the tip off a disposable piping bag). Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the mochi wrapper.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine 100g glutinous rice flour, 30g cornstarch, and 35g white sugar. Pour in 170g milk. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. The batter should be thin and pourable, similar to heavy cream.

Strain the batter through a fine-mesh sieve once.

Heat a non-stick pan over low heat. Pour the strained batter into the pan. Add 20g butter.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon. The mixture will look like a lumpy paste at first — keep stirring. As it heats, it will start to come together into a single mass. Continue stirring and folding until the dough forms a complete, cohesive ball that pulls away cleanly from the sides and bottom of the pan. This usually takes about 5-8 minutes.

Transfer the cooked dough to a clean work surface. Let it cool just enough that you can handle it without burning yourself (but it should still be warm).

Now comes the most important step for achieving that signature soft, stretchy, chewy mochi texture: knead and stretch the dough repeatedly. Fold it over itself, press it down, stretch it out, fold again. Repeat this process for 5-10 minutes. You'll notice the dough becoming smoother, glossier, and more elastic with each stretch.

When the dough is smooth, glossy, and stretchy (you should be able to pull it into a thin sheet without it tearing), it's ready. Set aside and cover with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out while you prepare your work station.

Spread a thin layer of cooked glutinous rice flour on a clean work surface. Keep extra cooked flour nearby in a small bowl.

Have your piping bag of whipped cream ready in the refrigerator.

Wash and dry the fresh strawberries. Remove the green tops (the stems and leaves). Dice some of the strawberries. If your strawberries are very large, you can cut them in half lengthwise or even use just half a strawberry per snowman. For the cutest presentation, try to select strawberries that are roughly the same size.

Pinch off a small piece of mochi dough — about the size of a golf ball (roughly 30-40g). Dust it lightly with cooked glutinous rice flour.

Using a small rolling pin (or even just your fingers), roll the dough into a thin circle, about 3-4 inches in diameter.

Gently press the rolled-out mochi circle into a small bowl, letting it drape over the edges slightly.

Pipe a ring of whipped cream around the inside bottom of the mochi-lined mold.

Spoon a scoop of diced strawberries on top of the whipped cream.

Pipe more whipped cream around and over the strawberry.

Now, gather the edges of the mochi wrapper up and over the filling, like you're closing a little dumpling or a drawstring pouch. Pinch the edges together firmly to seal. Twist slightly and press to ensure a tight seal.

If there's excess dough at the seal, you can trim it off with clean scissors. Dust the trimmed area with a little cooked glutinous rice flour.

Carefully remove the assembled mochi from the mold. Dust the bottom (the sealed side) with cooked glutinous rice flour to prevent sticking. Place the mochi seal-side down on your work surface or a parchment-lined tray.

Repeat with the remaining dough, cream, and strawberries.

Now for the fun part — bringing your snowmen to life!

Using edible food coloring pens or melted chocolate, draw faces on the front of each mochi snowman. Draw two eyes (small dots) and a smile. You can also draw a small carrot-shaped nose in orange if you have an orange pen or orange-tinted chocolate.

To make the cream hat: Transfer some of the remaining whipped cream to a piping bag with a small round tip. Pipe a small dollop of cream on the very top of the snowman's head (the top of the strawberry). This will be the "base" of the hat.

Place a strawberry on top of that cream dollop — this becomes the snowman's hat.

Pipe one more tiny cream ball on top of the strawberry hat. This gives the hat a little pom-pom or button effect.

To create the snow scene: Place a fine-mesh sieve over the assembled snowmen. Add a small amount of powdered sugar to the sieve and tap gently, dusting the snowmen and the plate around them with a light layer of "snow."