Baked Mooncakes with macadamia nuts

This recipe is from Xin Flavours and originally called Walnut Mooncake by Theresa Wong but I used macadamia nuts instead.

The upper photo shows what I bought from the store and my own baked mooncake below with the sesame seeds. Close enough I think but perhaps I should have made the skin pastry a little thicker.

 

Anyway, I think it is a good attempt for a first try.

 

Ingredients

Pastry

120 g flour (Sieved)

30 g butter (Chilled and cut into small cubes)

70 g sugar syrup

1/8 tsp alkaline water

 

Egg Wash

1 egg and 1/4 tsp sugar syrup

 

Filling

500g white lotus paste, 120g walnut or a small pack of macadamia nuts, 5 salted egg yolk (separate each egg yolk into 4 portions) 2 tsp roasted sesame seed (white) but I used black ones.

 

Note : since the recipe doesn't clarify cooked or uncooked egg yolk, I decided to steam 4 salted egg yolks with drizzled rice wine for about 6 mins and then remove.

 

Method :

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius.
2. Place flour and chilled butter in a mixing bowl, lightly knead till it resembles bread crumbs.
3. Pour in syrup and alkaline water, knead gently into a dough. Leave aside.
4. Knead lotus paste and divide into 20 portions, wrap round salted egg yolk. (each paste should be 25gm)
5. Divide dough into 20 pcs, flatten it, wrap round the lotus paste with macadamia or walnuts on both ends. I used about 15 gm I think for the skin.
6. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seed on top.
7. Bake for about 25-28 minutes.

Although the recipe says 20 but I couldn't manage 20 pcs as the pastry seemed not enough.  So I suggest reducing the filling to say about 400gm only. I made only 12 pcs.

 

I also made my own sugar syrup by boiling about 140 gm sugar with 70 gm water. 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.

Bring water to the boil and dissolve the sugar into the boiling water, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the pot from the heat. Allow to cool completely and thicken and then use.

 

 

 

Ingredients used

 

Pastry skin looks like this

 

I have inserted macadamia nuts to both ends of the mooncake. Take note, push the macademia nut further in or else it may loosen after baking.

 

 

Apply egg wash and sesame seeds before baking

 

Done!

 

The skin is pretty crispy and overall taste not too bad!

Hope you can try out this recipe!

Happy Baking and wishing everyone a Happy Mid Autumn!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mini Baked Mooncakes

 

 

 

These are mini baked mooncakes.  Using a recipe that I found from the Nasi Lemak Lover blog.  I did not include any salted egg yolk. Just using ready made lotus paste and a handful of melon seeds.

The picture shows the mooncakes just baked.  These will have to wait for 3 days before consumption so that the skin can become softer.

 

Mooncakes are eaten during the Mid Autumn Festival as well as pomelos.

Pastry Recipe

325g Hong Kong Flour or super fine flour ( I used a mixture of 260gm top flour and 65gm plain flour)

225g Golden Syrup

75 gm cooking oil or peanut oil

1/2 tsp alkaline water

 

Method

1. Sift the flour in a mixing bowl.

2. Mix the syrup, peanut oil and alkaline water, slowly pour into the flour.

3. Use a spoon, spatula or hands to mix till the dough forms.  Cover and rest it for 1 hour.

4.  After 1 hour, shape the balls into about 23gm each.

 

Filling

350gm lotus paste

30 gm melon seeds, toasted ( I did not toast)

 

Method

1. Add the melon seeds to the paste, mix well.

2. Weigh into 16gm balls.

 

Assembly

1. Flatten the pastry ball on a pc of plastic and place a lotus paste ball filling in the centre, wrap and seal the dough. I also applied a sprinkle of flour round the ball.

2. Press into a mini mooncake mould and flatten the ball into the mould using your palm.

3. Dust a little flour onto the top of pressed part.

4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

5. Place the mooncake with the pattern upright on the tray.  Please put them with space about 1 inch apart.

6. Repeat till all done.

7. Make an egg wash using one eggyolk and a tablespoon of milk.  Whisk .

8.  Preheat oven to 180 deg celcius.

9.  Bake for 7 minutes and remove from oven.

10.  Cool for 15 minutes before applying egg wash and bake at 170 deg celcius for about 15 minutes till brown.

11. Remove and immediately cool on rack.

12. Keep in a plastic container about 3 days before consumption.

 

Picture shows the oil, golden syrup and alkali water.

Pastry dough

Rolled lotus paste balls with melon seeds

Flatten the pastry dough

Wrap a lotus ball and put the ball into the mould

Flatten the dough into the mould

Press out and put patterned part upwards

 

 

 

 

Cool on a rack immediately after baking. Store in a plastic container.

Do not line the container or the oil will be absorbed.

 

Happy Baking!

 

Photo taken on the 4th when the oil has returned to the skin of the mooncakes - yes, ready to eat!