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Traditional Mooncake (Revised)
Course: Moncakes
Cuisine: Chinese
Author: Shiokman Eddie
Ingredients
DOUGH
  • 70 g peanut oil
  • 200 g golden syrup
  • 5 ml lye water
  • 150 g Hong Kong flour
  • 170 g plain flour
FILLING
  • 1.5 kg white lotus paste
  • 180 g melon seeds
  • 15 salted egg yolks
  • 1 tsp chinese rice wine optional
  • 3 tsp sesame oil
FOR EGG WASH (Edited)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 egg white
  • 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
DOUGH
  1. Mix Hong Kong flour and plain flour together in a bowl.
  2. In another small bowl, add oil, golden syrup and lye water and mix everything well.
  3. Slowly add the golden syrup mixture to the flour mixture and mix evenly until it forms a dough.
  4. Cover the dough and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour.

  5. Lightly toast melon seeds in oven at 160°C for about 8 minutes. (optional step)

FILLING
  1. Mix lotus paste and melon seeds evenly together and set aside.
  2. Wash salted egg yolks in a bowl of water and transfer onto a tray.
  3. Drizzle a mixture of chinese rice wine (optional) and sesame oil over the egg yolks
  4. Steam egg yolks for about 5 minutes on medium flame. You may also bake them for 5 minutes in an airfryer.
ASSEMBLY
  1. Weigh portions of dough of 50 g each.
  2. For lotus paste filling, weigh portions of 110 g each.
  3. Make a hole in the lotus paste ball, insert egg yolk, wrap and roll into a ball.
  4. Roll a piece of dough flat and place the lotus paste ball in the centre. Wrap the filling completely by slowly pushing the dough up the sides. Gently roll into a ball and flour it lightly.
  5. Press the ball into a lightly floured mooncake mould. Press the mould plunger firmly (holding the base) and gently lift it up to release the mooncake.
  6. For wooden or plastic mould, place the ball into the cavity, level it and press firmly. Gently knock the mould to release the mooncake.

  7. Spray water all over the mooncakes to prevent the dough from cracking. (Edit: I have tested and found that it is better to leave out this step. You can prevent dough from cracking by lengthening cooling time to 10 to 15 minutes).

  8. Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes.

  9. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. (Edit: better to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes). Brush the mooncakes with egg wash.

  10. Bake again for another 10 minutes until golden brown.
  11. Place on wire rack to cool completely before storing in airtight containers.
Recipe Notes
  1. Let the mooncakes rest for 2-3 days after baking to get a richer colour, texture and flavour. The skin will turn soft, shiny and moist as the oil from the mooncake is released.
  2. When storing, do not place parchment paper under the mooncakes as that will slow down the maturing process.
  3. Amount of filling depends on size of mould.
  4. Reduce amount of melon seeds to 100 g or 120 g, if you do not like so much seeds in the filling.
  5. Edit: Alternatively salted egg yolk can be rinsed with chinese cooking wine, and brushed with sesame oil before steaming or baking.