Beetroot & Matcha Mooncake

Mung Bean Filling

• 200g (7.05oz) Dried Mung Beans
• 90g (3.2oz) Coconut Oil 
• 5g (0.17oz) Matcha Tea Powder
• 20g (0.71oz) Chaucer Beetroot Powder

Simple Syrup

• 100g (3.52oz) Caster Sugar
• 130ml (94.4floz) Water

Snow Skin

• 200g (7.05oz) Cooked Glutinous Rice Flour
• 160g (5.64oz) Icing (Powdered) Sugar
• 60g (2.11oz) Shortening (White Fat such as Lard, Cocoa Butter)
• 160–300 ml (5.41–10.14floz) Cold Water 
• 30g (1.06oz) Chaucer Beetroot Powder

Specialist Equipment

• Moon Cake Mould or Press

Mung Bean Filling

• Step 1

  Rinse and soak the mung beans in hot water for approx. 2 hours until softened.

• Step 2

  Meanwhile place the sugar and water in a small pan.

• Step 3

  Stir until dissolved then simmer until the syrup is reduced by half.

• Step 4

  Turn off and let cool.

• Step 5

  Rinse off the mung beans and place in a saucepan with boiling water.

• Step 6

  Skim off any scum and continue to boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

• Step 7

  The beans are cooked when they have mushed and much of the water has evaporated. This should be the consistency of thick‘pea soup’.

• Step 8

  Take off the heat and blend using a stick blender. Add a little more water for easy blending if necessary.

• Step 9

  Pass the paste through a sieve.

• Step 10

  Place the paste in to a non-stick pan (It is important that the pan is non-stick as the puree will stick easily).

• Step 11

  Add the sugar syrup and coconut oil to the pan and mix thoroughly.

• Step 12

  Bring to a medium heat stirring constantly and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated and the mixture has thickened.

• Step 13

  Divide the mixture in two and work on each half one after the other.

• Step 14

  Return half to the pan and in a small dish mix the matcha to a smooth paste with a little water.

• Step 15

  Add to the pan and continue to cook the paste STIRRING CONSTANTLY until the paste is thickened and coming away from the pan in one homogenised smooth, soft and thick paste (a little like marzipan). This could take up to half an hour to achieve.

• Step 16

  Take out of the pan and allow to cool.

• Step 17

  Repeat Processes 14 to 16 with the second half but this time with the addition of the Beetroot Powder.

• Step 18

  Allow both to cool.

Snow Skin

• Step 1

  Sift glutinous rice flour and icing (powdered) sugar together into a bowl.

• Step 2

  Rub in cold shortening to resemble fine breadcrumbs.

• Step 3

  Make a well in the centre and add some of the water.

• Step 4

  Mix and keep adding more until the dough comes together. (You may not need all of the water).

• Step 5

  Using gloves knead until smooth and elastic, then cover and rest the dough. NB: the dough will stick to your fingers unless gloves are worn.

• Step 6

  Divide the dough in half and knead in the beetroot powder.

Assembly

• Step 1

  Divide the coloured Mung Bean Paste and roll into balls. This will take some iteration depending on the size of mould but the dough balls should be slightly smaller than the moulds themselves.

• Step 2

  Take a piece of Snow Skin and, wearing gloves, roll into a ball.

• Step 3

  Using a piece of parchment or cling film, roll out the snow skin thinly and into a circle large enough to cover the balls of flavoured mung bean paste balls. It should be slightly thinner at the edges.

• Step 4

  Wrap the mung bean ball in the pastry and smooth out any creases, ensuring the ball is completely and neatly encased.

• Step 5

  Continue until you have covered all of your mung bean balls.

• Step 6

  Lightly dust the moon cake mould with cooked glutinous rice flour and place one of your moon cake balls in the mould.

• Step 7

  Push the moon cake in firmly so that it takes on the shape and pattern of the mould.

• Step 8

  Tap the moon cake to free it from the form.

• Step 9

  Continue with this process until all the Moon Cakes are moulded.

• Step 10

  Using a small soft brush, dust off the excess flour.

• Step 11

  Leave to firm up in a fridge.

• Step 12

  Snow skin Moon Cakes should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and will keep for up to 3 days.

• Step 13

  Snow skin Moon Cakes freeze well and will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before consumption.