Traditional baked mooncakes, a Chinese bakery product, are usually eaten during the Mid-Autumn festival. These traditional baked mooncakes, use lotus seed paste and egg yolk as filling with the skin baked and glazed to a shiny golden brown colour. They are rich, heavy and dense unlike most western cakes and pastries which are normally light and fluffy. Mooncakes are enjoyed in small wedges accompanied by freshly brewed Chinese tea.
INGREDIENTS
Mooncake Pastry
250 gram golden syrup
80 gram oil (preferably to use peanut oil)
8 gram alkaline water (lye water)
240 gram all-purpose flour (A) (added to the golden syrup)
120 gram all-purpose flour (B) (added after 4 hours)
Mooncake Filling
1 kg lotus seed paste (homemade or store-bought)
50 gram melon seed (slightly toasted)
9 Salted egg yolks
Egg wash
1 egg yolk (beaten and sift)
1 tbsp water
Others
1 – 2 mooncake mould (any mooncake mould of your choice)
METHOD
1. Start by making the mooncake skin. Prepare all ingredients needed to make the pastry.
2. In a large bowl, add in golden syrup and peanut oil, followed by alkaline water. Whisk together the golden syrup, alkaline water and peanut oil until well blended.
3. Next, add in the all-purpose flour (240 gram). Stir to combine all ingredients. Do not over-stir. Cover with a cling wrap and set aside for 4 hours.
4. Bake the salted egg yolks in a 175 degree- preheated oven for 5 minutes. Set aside when done.
5. Next, roast melon seeds in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Mix the roasted melon seeds into the lotus paste. Lightly knead to combine the melon seeds into the paste.
6. Roll lotus paste into a log, divide into 9 equal pieces about 110g each and roll into balls.
7. Then make the dough skin by mixing the set aside dough with the all-purpose flour (120g). Gently knead the rested dough just until it comes together and firms up. Divide the dough skin into 9 equal pieces, each about 45g. Roll each portion into a small ball shape.
8. Take a lotus paste ball and poke a hole in the middle with your finger. Place the baked egg yolk inside. Roll it back and shape into a ball.
9. Next, flatten skin dough on palm of hand. Then flatten further using your fingertips. Put lotus paste ball onto the flattened dough and enclose filling by gently pressing edges until filling is sealed.
10. Gently push, press and squeeze the dough, holding the ball securely in your palm, until the dough skin gradually covers the lotus paste ball. Repeat this step to finish the remaining dough skin and lotus paste balls.
11. Dust a little flour on the mooncake mould. Place the stuffed round mooncake into the mould. Turn it upright on the surface. Then press the plunger down until you feel resistance. Transfer the moulded mooncakes onto a baking sheet.
12. Preheat oven to 200 degree C. Place the mooncakes in the preheated oven to bake for 10 minutes. Remove the mooncakes from the oven and leave to cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.
13. Lightly brush as thoroughly as possible the top of mooncakes with beaten egg yolk. Then bake in the oven for another 10 minutes or till golden brown.
