Chinese Mooncake Recipe

Mooncake recipe: Making the Dough

• To prepare the Chinese mooncake dough use a large bowl, mix the golden syrup, alkaline water and oil well together.
• Sift in the flour. Use a spatula to combine all the ingredients. Don’t over–stir.
• Knead into a dough. Cover with film wrap and rest for 40 minutes.

Mooncake recipe: Preparing the salted egg yolks

• Mix egg yolks with wine. If the salted egg yolks are homemade and freshly broken from the shells, you’ll see the egg whites turn opaque after mixing with the wine a few minutes later.
• Wipe the yolks dry with kitchen paper. Cut each into two halves. Set aside.

NB. To make salted egg yolks separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Put the yolks in a pan and steam them for about 10 minutes on a low to medium heat. Salt the yolks. Set them aside to cool down. Make sure that they have cooled off before you start baking with them.

Mooncake Recipe: Prepare the lotus paste:

• Roll the lotus paste into a long tube.
• Cut into 12 equal portions of 35 grams.
• Roll each portion into a ball shape.
• Set aside and preheat the oven to 180°C.

Mooncake recipe: For the Egg Wash

• Whisk the egg yolk with the egg white. Sift through a fine sieve.

Mooncake recipe: Assembling the Mooncake

• Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a small ball shape.
• Cover a dough portion with a plastic film and roll into a thin disc. Then take a lotus paste ball and poke a hole in the middle with your finger.
• Place the egg yolk inside and roll and shape into a ball. Wrap and seal the lotus paste ball with the dough disc.

• Spray the mooncake mould and place the stuffed mooncake into the mould. Lightly press the mould handle, then remove the mooncake from the mould. Transfer the stuffed mooncake onto a lined baking tray. Repeat this step to finish the remaining dough and lotus paste.
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Mooncake recipe: Baking the Mooncakes

• Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Brush the mooncakes with the egg wash, about five minutes, before removing from the oven.
• Continue to bake until the pastry turns golden brown.
• Remove from oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• Store in an air–tight container. The pastry will become soft and shiny in one or two days: the mooncake recipe is ready to be enjoyed.

Thanks to Christine's Recipe for this courtesy recipe