Mooncakes Recipes

MOON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and lightly grease a jelly roll pan.
• In a large saucepan, bring water and margarine to a boil. Remove from heat, and mix in flour with electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Spread evenly in prepared pan .
• Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside to cool completely
• In large bowl, combine pudding mix, milk and cream cheese. Mix with electric mixer until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled crust. Top with whipped topping and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Chill in refrigerator and serve cold.

EASY MOONCAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix golden syrup, lye water, and vegetable oil accurately in a mixing bowl.
• Sieve the flour. Add all at once to the above mixture.
• Combine all the ingredients.
• Place the dough on a piece of cling wrap. Refrigerate for thirty minutes to let the dough relax.
• Wash the salted egg yolk with water to remove the white sticking to the yolk. Pat dry.
• Wrap the yolk with the lotus paste
• Then roll it into a ball. Set aside.
• Roll out the pastry in between two plastic sheets or cling wraps.
• Remove the cling film on top, fold the pastry toward the filling.
• Pinch away the excess pastry where the pastry is double folded to ensure consistent thickness.
• Roll the mooncake with your palms to form a ball.
• Roll the mooncake on a surface dusted with flour.
• Plunge the piston of the mold to the flour, and shake off the excess.
• Place the dough on the baking tray.
• Put the mooncake mold on the dough and plunge the piston downward. The dough will take the shape of the mold, and the pattern will be imprinted on the surface.
• Bake it at the middle rack, 175°C/350°F top and bottom temperature for five minutes or until the surface starts to firm up.
• Remove the mooncake from the oven and brush the surface of the mooncake with egg wash.
• Bake for another ten minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove the cake from the oven to cool at room temperature.
• Transfer the mooncake to an airtight container and keep for three days before serve.

MOONCAKES

Steps:

• For the lotus paste: Place the dried lotus seeds in a medium bowl and cover with plenty of room temperature water. Let the seeds soak and rehydrate for at least 6 hours, and preferably overnight.
• Rinse the lotus seeds under cold water, then split them in half to remove and discard the green sprout in the center (they are very bitter). Transfer the seeds to a large pot and fill with plenty of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until the seeds are tender enough to smash with a fork, about 1 hour. Drain well, then transfer the seeds to a food processor while they are still warm, add 3/4 cup sugar and puree until very smooth. (Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water if necessary to get a very smooth texture). Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl.
• Melt 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, then cook until caramelized and deep golden, about 5 minutes. Add the lotus puree and cook, stirring continuously, until most of the moisture has been cooked out and the puree is similar in texture to thick mashed potatoes, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the remaining 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, then continue to cook, stirring continuously, until all of the shortening has fully incorporated and the paste is very thick, glossy and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 6 minutes more. (The final lotus paste should be amber brown in color and almost stretchy in texture.) Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool completely.
• For the mooncake dough: Meanwhile, whisk together the golden syrup, alkaline water and vegetable oil in a large bowl until combined. Add the cake and all-purpose flours, then stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Gently knead the dough until it comes together completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Divide the lotus paste into 12 equal pieces (each about 2 1/2 tablespoons) and roll into golf ball-size balls. Place on a plate and chill in the refrigerator, 20 to 30 minutes. The colder the balls, the easier it will be to shape the mooncakes.
• Roll about 1 tablespoon of the mooncake dough into a ball, then place between 2 pieces of parchment paper that have been lightly dusted with flour. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and 3 1/2 to 4 inches wide. Place one of the lotus paste balls in the center of the dough, and shape the dough around it, pinching the edges to seal. Roll the ball in your hands to smooth the exterior.
• Place the assembled ball in a plastic 2-inch wide miniature mooncake press mold, then turn the press upright on your work surface. Press the plunger down until you feel resistance, then lift the mooncake mold off the table and use the plunger to carefully press the mooncake out. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, then refrigerate while you make the remaining mooncakes in the same manner.
• Bake the mooncakes until the tops are no longer shiny and the dough has just set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Whisk the egg together with a splash of water in a small bowl, then brush over the tops and sides of each mooncake. Return to the oven and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool on the baking sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy fresh or store in an airtight container for 2 days (they'll get shinier as they sit).

MOON CAKE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition., Spread on a greased 15x10x1-in. jelly roll pan. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Cool but do not prick, leaving surface with its "moon-like" appearance. , Meanwhile, for filling, beat pudding and milk until thick. Add cream cheese; blend well. Spread on crust; refrigerate 20 minutes. Top with whipped topping. Drizzle chocolate sauce over top and sprinkle with nuts.

MOONCAKES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine the water and baking soda in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil, about 7 minutes.
• Set aside to cool (watch the pot closely to be sure water doesn't completely boil away. You will need 1/2 teaspoon of lye water substitute for this recipe).
• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine the honey, 1/2 teaspoon lye water substitute, vegetable oil, cake flour, and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until the mixture comes together into a ball.
• Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate, at least 30 minutes. Place the red bean paste in a small bowl. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, spray a tiny bit cooking spray onto your work surface, then cover with a piece of plastic wrap. The oil will help the plastic wrap stay in place. The dough is sticky and is much easier to handle with the plastic wrap. It is helpful to wear latex gloves or oil your hands to prevent sticking.
• Divide the chilled dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Divide the red bean paste into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball.
• Dust the top of the plastic wrap with some flour. Flatten each ball of dough into a disk about 1/4-inch thick and place a ball of red bean paste into the center of each.
• Wrap the dough around the paste and pinch the dough together to seal. Roll into a large, smooth, uniform ball.
• Dust the inside of a mooncake mold with flour. Place the filled dough ball into the mold and flatten it to fill the mold.
• Unmold the mooncake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining portions. Leave at least 2-inches of space between each mooncake.
• Place the baking sheet of mooncakes in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Freezing will help the mooncake retain its shape and design while baking.
• Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F.
• Combine the egg, egg yolks, milk, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
• With a pastry brush , brush the tops and the sides of the mooncakes lightly with the egg wash. Repeat with a second brush of egg wash.
• Bake until the mooncakes are golden brown, 15 to 19 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before removing and serving.

SAVORY SUZHOU MOONCAKES

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a blender, blend the scallion, sliced ginger and 1/4 cup water on high until puréed. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and transfer 3 tablespoons of the flavored water to a medium bowl. Add the pork, sugar, cornstarch, wine, both soy sauces, the sesame oil, minced ginger, salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Wet your hands slightly to prevent sticking, then divide the meat mixture evenly into 16 balls (each about 1 rounded tablespoon) and place on a baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate to firm up while preparing the dough.
• Make the dough paste: In a medium bowl, mix the flour and lard with a silicone spatula or your hands until they form a dough. The paste should just hold together: It will be dry and flaky but still oily. Shape into 16 small balls (each about 1 scant tablespoon) on another baking sheet, and cover lightly with plastic wrap.
• Make the dough: In a large heatproof bowl, mix the flour, lard, sugar and salt. Stream in the boiling water and mix with a silicone spatula to form a dough. When the dough is cool enough to handle, use your hands to knead the dough until it is very smooth with no lumps, adding more water or flour as needed for dough that is tacky but not sticky. Divide the dough into 16 balls (each about 1 rounded tablespoon) on a separate baking sheet and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough paste and dough rest for 20 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, assemble the mooncakes: Place a ball of the dough in one palm and use your other palm to press it into a flat disk. Take a ball of the paste and place in the center of the disk. Bring the sides of the dough up and around the paste ball, so that the paste is encased within the dough.
• With a lightly floured rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, flatten this ball of dough into a flat, long and thin oval. Starting from the bottom narrow end of the oval, roll the dough into a log. Set aside under plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough, keeping the logs under plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Rest for 10 minutes.
• Position a log so that it's vertical and flatten with a rolling pin, rolling up and down, to form a long oval. Roll it up again into a log, lightly flouring the rolling pin and surface as necessary. Press a chopstick or your finger crosswise down the middle so that the two edges bend upward. Flatten the whole thing with your palm so that you see two spirals. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a thin circle, about 4-inches wide. Repeat with the remaining logs.
• Add the meat filling: Place a ball of meat inside the circle. Pleat the dough around the meat and pinch to close. Pinch off any excess dough. Flip the ball over, gently press with your palm to flatten it slightly, and set it on a baking sheet, covering it loosely with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Repeat with all the remaining dough and meat.
• In a small bowl, make the egg wash by combining the egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush the mooncakes with the egg wash and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve while hot. Mooncakes will keep in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days refrigerated or for several months frozen.