Traditional Chinese Moon Cakes
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Products used
Ingredients
- Mooncake Filling
- 280g (9.9 oz) Raw White Sesame Seeds
- 90g (3.17oz) Icing (Confectioners’ Sugar)
- 110g (3.9oz) Unsalted Butter, softened
- 80g (2.82oz) Glutinous Rice Flour
- 40g (1.4oz) Chaucer Blackcurrant Powder
- Mooncake Centre
- 18g (0.63oz) Chaucer Mango Powder
- Moon Cake Pastry
- 112g (3.95oz) Golden Syrup
- 5g (0.176oz) Lye Water (Kansui)
- 40g (1.4oz) Sunflower Oil
- 1.4g (0.05oz) Salt
- 170g (6oz) Plain Flour
- 30g (1.1oz) Cornflour
- 20g (0.7oz) Egg Yolk, plus a Pinch of Salt (for egg wash)
Other ingredients suggestions
NB: Glutinous rice flour, Lye water (Kansui), Sesame seeds and Moon Cake moulds can all be purchased from most good Oriental Supermarkets, or online.
Why not try replacing Mango and Blackcurrant powders for Spinach and Beetroot for an exciting and innovate vegetable twist on a traditional recipe.
Vegetable:
Beetroot powder
Spinach
Fruit:
Banana
Strawberry
Raspberry
Blueberry
Blackberry
Cranberry
Mango
Peach
Orange
Clementine
Lime
Lemon
Passion fruit
Specialist Equipment:
Moon Cake Mould or Press
Method
-
1
Toast sesame seeds on a low heat, turning frequently until they sizzle slightly and you can smell their aroma. Allow to cool. -
2
Place sesame seeds into a food processor and blend until they become slightly oily and a thick paste is achieved. (Scrape down the sides a couple of times to make sure they are amalgamated fully.) -
3
Add the icing sugar and butter and pulse until fully mixed. -
4
Transfer to a bowl and fold in the glutinous rice flour. -
5
Portion off approx. 1/8 of the mixture and fold in the mango powder. -
6
Fold in the blackcurrant powder to the remaining dough. (The dough should resemble marzipan consistency.) -
7
The mango sesame dough for the interior moons, form into small egg yolk sized balls, then take the blackcurrant & sesame dough to form around the small balls, which will create a larger ball. The final size will depend on the size of your mould, the aim is to create a ball just slightly smaller than your moon cake mould. -
8
Allow the dough to firm by setting in the fridge (approx. 1 hour). - For the pastry:
-
1
In a bowl mix the golden syrup, lye water and oil. Whisk or beat well until emulsified. -
2
Sift the plain flour & cornflour together. -
3
With great care gently fold in spoonfuls of the flour, being careful not to beat as the dough will become tough. -
4
Shape the dough into a ball. (It should be soft but not sticky.) -
5
Cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. -
6
Flour a surface and knead gently (folding the dough, not stretching). -
7
Re cling film and rest for a further 30 minutes. - Assembly:
-
1
Take small amounts of pastry (enough to cover sesame balls) and roll out thin circles of dough between greaseproof paper. The edges should be thinner than the centre of the pastry. -
2
Dust your hands with flour. -
3
Wrap the sesame ball in the pastry and smooth out any creases, ensuring the ball is completely and neatly encased. -
4
When you have covered all your sesame balls, cover and place back in the fridge to set until firm enough to shape. -
5
Lightly dust the moon cake mould with flour and place one of your moon cake balls in the mould. -
6
Push the moon cake in firmly so that it takes on the shape and pattern of the mould. -
7
Tap the moon cake to free it from the form. -
8
Using a pastry scraper, carefully place all the cakes onto a lined baking tray. -
9
Dust of any excess flour using a soft brush, being careful not to disturb the patterning. -
10
Place in a moderate oven heated to 160’C and bake for no more than 8 minutes. This should set the pastry. -
11
Meanwhile beat the egg yolk with the salt and scantly brush the top surface of the moon cakes with the egg. Do not over-egg! -
12
Place back in the oven and bake until golden (approx. 7-9 minutes). -
13
Let cool on tray, then transfer to a tin. -
14
Best served between 1 and 3 days later, as this allows the sesame seed oils to transfer through the pastry and become lighter.