Snowskin yam paste mooncake ~ 2019 ~ 芋头冰皮月饼)

It's the time of the year for mooncakes again and as in previous years, there seems to be a growing vast variety of mooncakes of different flavours.  This year, the Mid-Autumn or Mooncake Festival falls on 13th September, Friday.  The malls are all decorated with paraphenalia associated with the festival and sell special food at this time of the year.

Snowskin yam paste mooncake  ~ 2019 ~ 芋头冰皮月饼)

Ingredients for Yam Paste

• 500 gm yam
• 100 gm sugar
• 25 gm wheatstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 70 ml vegetable oil (may require less)

Method

1. Peel yam, cut into slices and weigh out 500 gm.  
2. Steam yam slices on medium heat for about 30 mins. till soft.
3. Immediately mash up the yam slices while still hot (yam will harden once cooled) OR can use a handheld blender to blend.  (I used the latter).
4. Pour the mashed yam into a non-stick pot, stir on low heat adding oil little by little.  Gradually add in sugar and salt.  All this while, keep stirring on low heat.
5. Cook till the yam mixture is semi dry and firm, leaving the sides of the pan.  Sift in the wheatstarch and mix well.
6. Dish out the yam paste and let cool on plate.
7. Once cooled, cover the paste with clingwrap touching the paste to prevent if from drying and keep refrigerated.

Ingredients for snowskin

• 65 gm kao fun
• 17.1/2 gm wheat flour          )  Mix and steam for 3 mins.,
• 17.1/2 gm superfine flour     )  let cool and sift
• 60 gm icing sugar
• 25 gm shortening
• 75 gm water
• dried cranberries (optional)
• pandan/screwpine leaves

Method

1. Mix the flour and wheatflour, steam for 3 mins., let it cool and sift.
2. Mix in the kao fun till well combined.
3. In a pot, boil the water with the icing sugar and shortening.  Add in the pandan leaves.  Stir and once it starts to boil, turn off heat, discard the pandan leaves.
4. Pour the hot liquid to the flour mixture, use a spatula to mix and lightly knead to form a bouncy dough.  Wrap it up with cling wrap and keep refrigerated for 30 mins.
5. For a 50 gm mould, you will need 25 gm dough and 28 gm filling.
6. Yield :  10 snowskin mooncakes.

To assemble the mooncake

1. Flatten the piece of dough with a rolling pin, wrap ball of filling inside, roll into a ball.
2. Press the ball of dough into a plunger mould, press out and remove the mould.
3. Place the mooncakes into a container, cover with a piece of paper towel and keep refrigerated.
4. These snowskin mooncakes stay fresh and soft even on the 5th day.