Lightly toast all the nuts and seeds. Toast them in a dry pan over low heat, stirring often, until they smell fragrant and lightly golden. Be careful not to over-toast them, especially the smaller seeds. Once toasted, transfer everything to a plate or tray and allow it to cool completely.

Roughly chop the whole almonds and walnuts with a knife. We want a mixture with plenty of bite, so do not chop them too finely.

Place all the toasted nuts and seeds into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped almonds and walnuts, followed by the candied citron, candied mandarin orange, and candied melon.

Mix everything in the large mixing bowl.

Add sugar, vegetable oil, golden syrup, water and salt. Mix everything very thoroughly, making sure the syrup and oil coat all the nuts and fruits evenly.

Then add the sliced dried cranberries or sultanas, the toasted black and white sesame seeds, and the finely shredded kaffir lime leaves. The kaffir lime leaves add a wonderfully fresh, citrusy fragrance that balances the richness of the nuts and candied fruits.

Once everything is well mixed, set the nut mixture aside for 30 minutes. This resting time allows the ingredients to absorb the flavours and moisture evenly.

After resting, add the brandy or Chinese rose liquor if using. This is optional, but it gives the filling a lovely festive aroma.

Now sieve in the cooked glutinous rice flour, also known as kou fien. Mix until the filling comes together. The kou fien absorbs excess moisture and helps bind the nuts into a filling that can be shaped easily. If the mixture feels too dry and crumbly, add a little water or oil, one teaspoon at a time. If it feels overly wet, add a little more sieved kou fien.

When the mixture holds together when pressed in your hand, it is ready.

Weigh and roll the mix nuts filling into balls according to the size of your mooncake mould. For example, for a 150g mooncake, you can use around 100g of filling and 50g of mooncake skin, depending on your preferred filling-to-skin ratio, either 2:1 or 3:2.

Keep the filling balls covered while you prepare your mooncake dough, so they do not dry out.