Moon Cake
A Personal Reflection
The Mooncake Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, has always held a special place in my heart. Unlike Christmas, with its plethora of gifts, or Tet New Year, which brings monetary blessings, the Mooncake Festival enchants with its vibrant lanterns and the warm, communal spirit it fosters. As a child, I was always captivated by these lanterns, meticulously crafted from bamboo and wrapped in colorful, translucent paper, often taking the shape of stars, fish, or even mythical creatures. They were more than just decorations; they were symbols of hope and unity that illuminated my childhood.
Moon cake
I treasured my lantern dearly, carrying it everywhere with a candle glowing inside. The radiant colors of the paper would cast a beautiful, guiding light, illuminating the path through our neighborhood. As I strolled along, joyfully munching on the special sweets of the season, particularly the exquisite mooncakes, the lantern's light seemed to lead me through a magical journey of nostalgia and hope.
Our family tradition included singing songs dedicated to the Autumn Festival while parading our lanterns around. My father, a respected physician, received numerous gifts from his grateful patients, especially mooncakes of all varieties. These delicious pastries, filled with diverse flavors such as lotus seed paste, red bean, and salted egg yolk, became a cornerstone of our celebrations. This tradition was particularly poignant in the years shortly after the war ended, which had reunified our country and family.
However, the political climate of the time forced my father into early retirement due to the new communist laws. This unexpected setback compelled our family to adapt and find new ways to sustain ourselves. My grandmother, resourceful and resilient, opened a modest restaurant serving home-cooked street food. It was here, amidst the clattering of pots and the aroma of sizzling delicacies, that we learned the art of cooking and baking. Making mooncakes became an essential part of our Autumn Festival celebration.
This experience wasn’t merely about sustenance; it sparked a lifelong passion for baking in me. Each festival became an opportunity to experiment with new mooncake recipes, infusing traditional elements with innovative twists. The act of baking these intricate pastries, from kneading the dough to crafting elaborate patterns on the crust, became a form of artistic expression and a profound connection to my heritage.
The Mooncake Festival, with its enchanting lanterns and delectable pastries, remains my favorite childhood celebration not just for its aesthetic allure but for the deep familial bonds and cultural heritage it celebrates. It reminds me of the resilience and adaptability of my family, and it continues to inspire my passion for baking. Each year, as the festival approaches, I find myself eagerly anticipating the opportunity to recreate those cherished moments, lantern in hand and mooncake in mouth, guided by the warm, radiant light of tradition and memory.
Let's embark on the delightful journey of making mooncakes, a process that starts with preparing the delicate pastry crust, mastering the art of wrapping, and shaping the dough to fit perfectly within design molds. The result is a mooncake with a beautifully tender, moist, and glistening crust that is sure to impress.
Watch my video how to make mooncake on YouTube Chanel Ti’s Kitchen
The cornerstone of the mooncake pastry is golden syrup, a vital component that imparts a lovely flavor and texture while enhancing the mooncake's shelf life. This syrup, easily sourced from supermarkets, can be stored for years without crystallizing. Other essential ingredients include lye water or, if unavailable, baked baking soda water. To prepare baked baking soda water: bake your baking soda at a low temperature for one hour, then mix it with water.
In a bowl, combine the cornstarch and golden syrup and oil (canola, peanut oil, sunflower oil) until they are well mixed. In a larger bowl, filled with flour, pour in the liquid mixture. Mix all the ingredients together—using either your hands or a stand mixer—until well blended. I usually prepare the golden syrup a year in advance of mooncake season, allowing it to age and develop a deep amber color. Once the dough is formed, wrap it and let it rest on the counter overnight. By the next day, it will be much easier to handle.
For the filling, I use lotus paste and pre-cooked salted egg yolks. Shape the filling into balls weighing about 80g each to perfectly match the plastic molds, with the crust weighing between 35g and 40g or slightly less. There are various types of mooncake fillings you can prepare in advance to suit your preferences.
Mixed nut savoury moon cake filling (my favourite )
My favourite mooncake Lotus and pandan flavour
Mung bean and salt yolk
After allowing the dough to rest and soften overnight, it becomes incredibly pliable. Roll it out thin—about an eighth of an inch, or 2 millimeters. Place a generous ball of filling in the center, wrap the dough around it, and carefully trim off any excess. Pinch the edges to seal it tightly, then smooth the dough by rolling it gently between your palms. Position the dough ball into a mold, pressing it down firmly to create the mooncake's intricate design on top. Repeat this process for the remaining filling.
Preheat your oven to 350°F and bake the mooncakes for 7 to 10 minutes, ensuring not to glaze them just yet. Once the initial baking time is complete, remove the tray and let it cool slightly. Now, apply a glaze made from egg yolk mixed with a pinch of salt. This glaze will give the mooncakes a beautiful finish.
Return the mooncakes to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes at the same temperature. There’s no need for extended baking since the filling is already cooked. Depending on your oven’s heat and the size of the mooncakes, you might need slight adjustments. After their final bake, you'll find the mooncakes adorned with a delicate golden brown hue, capturing both beauty and flavor
Supplies:
Plastic mold I use
Mixing bowl medium size or stand mixer
Mooncake mold
Rolling pin
Scale
Baking tray
Stand mixer machine, Electric handheld mechine
The Pastry Dough: Mooncake Skin
This dough substitutes 1 tbsp molasses with golden syrup, resulting in a deep amber color
Ingredients:
150g golden syrup
1 tsp lye water or baked baking soda water
1 tbsp cornstarch
3.5 tbsp cooking oil —sunflower oil, canola oil, peanut oil
225g flour
a pinch of salt
1 egg yolk for glaze
Roll the filled dough between palms to smooth it out
Steps:
In the bowl, combine golden syrup, lye water or baked baking soda water, oil, and cornstarch. Mix until well combined.
In a larger bowl with flour and a pinch of salt, pour in the liquid mixture. Mix and knead a few times.
Wrap and let it rest overnight on the counter.
Divide the dough into 35-40 portions.
4. Roll each portion to a thin 1/8 in or 2mm and wrap the prepared filling.
5. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes without glaze. After 10 minutes, remove the tray from the oven. Allow the mooncakes to completely cool, glaze with egg yolk and a pinch of salt, and bake for another 10 minutes at 350°F.
The dough is pressed using plastic mooncake mold
Apply the glaze after the first bake
Lotus pandan and salt yolk
Tips:
For the best result don’t use too much glaze it will ruin the design .
To get a deep amber color, 1 tablespoon of molasses replace with gold syrup in the dough
Enjoy these mooncake ! Happy Autumn Festival !
Relate topic:
Swiss meringue
