Traditional Mooncakes

A Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival to all!

中秋节快乐

sources: here

Special thanks to Lucy!

Ingredients for making Lotus paste:

600 gm. Lotus Seeds
560 gm. Sugar
500 gm. Groundnut oil
1 1/4 Tablespoon Alkaline water
2 Tbsp. Maltose
1 tsp. Alkaline water
1 Tbsp. Condense milk
1/2 tsp. salt
for caramel: 4 Tbsp. sugar

Method:

(1) Mix Lotus seeds with 1 1/4 Tbsp. alkaline water and 3 Tbsp. water, rest for 20 mins. Then pour in hot boiling water and cover it for about 20 - 30 mins. Wash away the lotus seeds skin, then add water (about 3 rice bowls) and pressure cook until lotus seeds are soft. (Rough guide - I used fissler pressure cooker, so I waited until the red knob appears, then continue boiling at medium heat for about 20 mins. then off the fire and wait until my cover can open.

(2) Blend the lotus seeds until very fine.

(3) Heat the wok and fry the 4 Tbsp. sugar with some oil till sugar turns caramel in colour. Pour in blended lotus seeds, sugar, oil,salt and fry till water dries up.

(4) Add in maltose, 1 teaspoon alkaline water and milk and mix well.

For Mooncake pastry:

350 gm. Hong Kong flour
90 gm. oil
200 gm. Moon cake syrup (Moon cake syrup recipe is in my blog too)
1 1/4 tsp. alkaline water

This paste yields about 18 nos. of mooncakes

Method:


(1) Mix the above ingredients together and rest for at least 1 hour before moulding it with lotus paste.
(2) Mix 30 gm.of roasted olive seeds and 30 gm. of roasted melon seeds into the lotus paste. weigh the lotus paste and wrap in salted egg yolk.
(3) Wrap with about 45 gm. of pastry and press into mooncake mould. Knock out from the mould and bake the mooncakes for 10 mins., cool slightly then brush with egg glaze , then re-bake again for another 10 mins. or till golden brown.

Mooncake Golden Syrup

I normally make my mooncake syrup and keep it for at least 10 months to 1 year before I use it for making mooncakes. When it mellows, the skin is more fragrant, colour is nicer and most importantly, easier to handle.

Ingredients:

1000 gm. sugar
600 gm. Hot water
2 slices Lemon

200 gm. coarse sugar
50 gm. water

Method:

(1) Into wok, add water and coarse sugar and cook over medium heat.
*2) Into saucepan, boil 600 gm. water.
(3) When sugar in wok turns caramel in colour, swirl the wok but do not stir.
(4) Pour in the hot water and then pour in the 1000 gm. of sugar and 2 slices of lemon. When boiling, reduce to low heat and boil mixture for 45 mins. until thick.
(5) When cooled, store in bottles and you can keep for a very long time.

 

This is a 50g mooncake mold that I use.

Filling size/Skin size: 40g/10g

Mooncake sizes: 35,50,63,75,100,125,150,185,250