Traditional Baked Mooncake 中秋月饼 (2010)

Mooncakes are Chinese pastries consumed during the Mid Autumn Festival (Mooncake Festival). They are round or squared baked confection with fillings and the crust is usually decorated with an imprint of flower designs. The traditional mooncake has lotus paste filling with the option of salted egg yolk stuffed inside and now there are also new and exciting flavors come up every year like chocolate, honeydew, passionfruit..., even sugar free lotus paste for diabetes is also available.

Every year I used the same recipe and the same molds to make the traditional baked mooncakes with no egg yolks to cut down calories and cholesterol. I actually made 18 pieces baked mooncakes with fillings ~ white lotus paste, lotus paste and red bean filling and used the remaining dough to shape 6 piggies ( with red bean filling) for the little ones.

Printable recipe

Here is the recipe

600g Hong Kong flour
360g Sugar Syrup
12g Alkaline water
150g Peanut oil
3kg Lotus paste (for about 20 pcs mooncakes)

Method:
Knead lotus paste well and weigh 150g each - roll into a ball shape.
Mix sugar syrup, alkaline water and peanut oil together - combine well.
Sift Hong Kong flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center and pour in the sugar syrup mixture.
Use a rubber spatula to mix and form to a soft dough. Cover and let it rest for 20 mins.
Lightly dust some Hong Kong flour on table and knead dough again till smooth. Measure dough to 50g each.
Wrap the lotus paste with the soft dough then dust some Hong Kong flour on it and place inside the mooncake mold, flatten dough to conform to shape of mold.
To dislodge the mooncake, bang one end each of the mold on a thick phone directory or hard surface with equal force.
Place mooncake on lined baking tray, not too close about 10 pieces on one tray for even baking.
Baked in preheated oven 180C for 7 mins and rest to cool down before egg wash mooncake with a soft brush and bake for another 15 mins at 175C.
Remove mooncakes from oven and brush some glaze on mooncake.
Leave mooncakes to cool and store in airtight container.

Kitchen note : Egg wash - one egg yolk + 1 tbsp water mix well and pass through a sieve. Add little egg yellow coloring and mix well.