No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

  These mini  mooncakes are made with white lotus paste, supposedly there is less sugar in this lotus paste.   For pure lotus paste, I was told that the sugar is cooked longer, thus the paste is more brown but for white lotus paste, the sugar content is lesser and the sugar is not cooked so long, hence the colour is lighter.  As these are 50 gm mini ones, I only managed to add in a quarter of salted egg yolk.  Nonetheless  they do taste good especially paired with a cup of piping hot Chinese tea of your choice. White Lotus Paste with egg yolks mini mooncakes ~ 2020  ( 白莲蓉蛋黄小月饼 ) Ingredients for dough 150 gm superfine flour 90 ml golden syrup 38 ml vegetable oil 2 gm lye water Egg wash - 1 whole egg + 1 tsp water, mix and strain Ingredients for lotus filling 280 gm white lotus paste 4 salted egg yolks, steamed and cut into quarters Method for dough Mix syrup, oil and lye water thoroughly with a handwhisk. Sift in flour, mix well with spatula and le...

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 Peel yam, cut into slices and weigh out 500 gm.   Steam yam slices on medium heat for about 30 mins. till soft. 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). 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 st...

These Mung Bean Cakes are made with split mung beans and they can pass off as mooncakes as they are shaped using the plunger moulds for mooncakes.  I find these mung bean cakes refreshing and not so heavy as mooncakes and they are a perfect match with a cup of hot Chinese tea. Mung Bean Cake  ~   绿豆糕 Ingredients 300 gm split mung beans 30 gm Crisco shortening 70 ml vegetable oil 100 gm organic cane sugar 1.1/2 Tbsp honey about 100 gm red bean paste 1/2 tsp matcha powder pinch of salt pandan leaves Method Wash and soak the mung beans with 700 ml water, overnight. Next day, rinse the mung beans and cook it in a rice cooker with about 1 inch of water covering the mung beans.  (I used the 'congee' function of the rice cooker). Put the cooked mung beans in a blender and blend till fine with 120 ml water. Heat up a non-stick pan with shortening and once melted, pour in the blended mung beans.  Keep stirring on medium he...

I combined the red bean paste and lotus paste to make what I refer to as a 'two-toned' mooncake.  Other than the traditional sweet red bean paste and lotus paste mooncakes, these days you can find a great combination of different flavoured mooncakes.  Baked Red Bean Lotus Paste Mooncake ~ 2018 ~   红豆蓮蓉月饼 Ingredients for Dough 150 gm superfine flour 90 ml golden syrup 38 ml vegetable oil 2 gm alkaline water Egg glaze - 1 whole egg, beaten and strain. Filling 420 gm red bean paste (store bought) 120 gm lotus paste (store bought) 8 gm melon seed kernel, lightly toasted Method 1.   Use a handwhisk to mix the golden syrup, oil and alkaline water till no oil surfaces.  Sift in the superfine flour.  Mix lightly to form a dough.  Cover and let rest for a few hours.  (I let it    rest for 4 hour s). 2.  Scale red bean filling to 35 gm each, add in some melon seed kernel.  Scale lotus filling to 1...

These snow skin mooncakes stay fresh and soft even after being kept chilled for a few days.  There is a great variety of mooncakes to choose from these days and for the snow skin mooncakes, one can create different flavours for the snow skin and this time I chose to add in Kahlua for a coffee flavour. Kahlua snow skin mooncake ~ 2018 ~  咖啡冰皮月饼    Ingredients for Dough 65 gm kao fun 17.5 gm wheat starch       )   Mix and steam for 3 mins. 17.5 gm superfine flour   )   Let cool and sift 60 gm icing sugar 25 gm shortening 65 gm hot water                )   Dissolve the coffee granules. 1.5 tsp coffee granules     )   Let cool 2 tsp Kahlua liqueur Filling 250 gm lotus paste (store bought) For a 50 gm mould, the dough is 25 gm 10 gm melon seeds, slightly toasted  and filling is also 25 gm This recipe is adapted ...

It's that time of the year once again and there are Mooncakes galore at all the shopping malls and supermarkets.  The Mid-autumn Mooncake festival falls  on 24th September, this year.  This round, I'm sharing with you mooncakes with homemade yam paste.  Homemade yam paste is moist and sugar level can be controlled.  These mooncakes do not have a 'waiting period'  which is   (  回油 )  and can be eaten on the day they are baked.  Best to consume within four days. Yam Paste Mooncake ~ 2018  ~  芋头月饼 Ingredients 500 gm yam 100 gm sugar 25 gm wheatstarch 1/8 tsp salt 70 ml vegetable oil (may require less) Method Peel yam, cut into slices and weigh out 500 gm.   Steam yam slices on medium heat for about 30 mins. till soft. 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). Pour the mashed yam i...

As the name implies, these snowskin mooncakes have a hint bit of orange liqueur and I used a different recipe this time.   I adapted the recipe from Ah Tze  (only made a quarter of the recipe) as I was curious to steam the wheat starch and plain flour and whether the flours will be wet and difficult to sift.  But no, after cooled, just sift through.  This is a keeper recipe for the mooncakes stayed soft and nice even after the fifth day, stored in an airtight container, chilled.  A great thank you to Ah Tze for sharing this recipe. Have a pleasant and enjoyable Mid-Autumn Festival! Cointreau liqueur snowskin mooncake ~  橙酒莲蓉冰皮月餅 Ingredients 65 gm kao fun (cooked glutinous rice flour) 17.1/2 gm wheat starch flour 17.1/2 gm ssuperfine flour 60 gm icing sugar 25 gm Crisco shortening 60 gm water 15 ml/3 tsp Cointreau liqueur Pandan/screwpine leaves (optional) Filling 250 gm lotus paste (store bought) some dri...

Attracted by the new introduction of a salted paste mooncake, suppliers have ideas.  I bought this salted mung bean paste, added some melon seeds and churn out these mini rose shaped mooncakes.                   Salted mung bean mooncake ~ 咸绿豆月饼 2017 Ingredients 150 gm superfine flour 90 ml golden syrup 38 ml vegetable oil 2 gm alkaline water Egg glaze - 1 whole egg, beaten and strain Filling 300 gm salted mung bean paste (store bought) 8 gm lightly toasted melon seeds Method Use a  handwhisk to mix the golden syrup, oil and alkaline water till no oil surfaces.  Sift in the superfine flour.  Mix lightly to form a dough.  Cover and let rest for a few hours till it doesn't stick to the hands.  (I let it rest for 4 hours). Scale dough to 25 gm each, roll into a ball Mix the melon seeds with the lotus paste.  Scale filling to 27 gm each. Flatten the piece of dough with ...

Salted egg yolks have been added into traditional lotus paste mooncakes, for both baked and snowskin mooncakes.   So I believe that the salted egg yolks can be added to nutty mooncakes as well.  They do enhance the flavour of these nutty mooncakes and if you're a fan of salted egg yolks, you'll love these. Salted Egg Nutty Mooncake ~  咸蛋五仁什錦月餅 Ingredients for Dough 150 gm superfine flour 90 ml golden syrup 38 ml vegetable oil 2 gm alkaline water Egg glaze - 1 whole egg, beaten and strain Ingredients for Filling 30 gm wlanuts, toasted and chopped 30 gm whole almonds with skin, toasted and chopped 19 gm pumpkin kernels, toasted 38 gm kat paeng/candied lemon, chopped 75 gm dried winter melon, chopped 38 gm sesame seeds, toasted 30 gm caster sugar 60 gm kao fun 2.1/4 Thsp vegetable oil 2.1/4 Tbsp water 3/4 Tbsp rose concentrate 3/8 Tbsp golden syrup 1.1/4 Tbsp Brandy (optional) 1/8 tsp salt 3 kaffir leaves, shredded 3 salted egg yol...

The Mid-Autumn, Lantern, or Mooncake Festival comes once a year and this year it falls on 4th October, 2017.  There are various flavours of mooncakes nowadays and today  I'm sharing with you, a simple Longan and Lotus paste mooncake. Longan and lotus paste moncake  ~   龙眼莲蓉月饼  2017 Ingredients 150 gm superfine flour 90 ml golden syrup 38 ml vegetable oil 2 gm alkaline water Egg glaze - 1 whole egg, beaten and strain Filling 300 gm lotus paste (store bought) 15 gm dried longan (snipped to smaller pieces) Method Use a  handwhisk to mix the golden syrup, oil and alkaline water till no oil surfaces.  Sift in the superfine flour.  Mix lightly to form a dough.  Cover and let rest for a few hours till it doesn't stick to the hands.  (I let it rest for 4 hours). Scale dough to 25 gm each, roll into a ball Mix the snipped longan with the lotus paste.  Scale filling to 27 gm each. Flatten the piece o...

These non-baked Cranberry Snowskin Mooncakes make an ideal gift for your friends during the Mid-Autumn festival.  Making these mooncakes is not so time-consuming as you don't need to  bake them and they do look cute and pretty when made in different colours.  These Cranberry Snowskin moonies remain soft and chewy even after being chilled in the fridge for four days. Cranberry Snowskin Mooncake  ~   蔓越莓冰皮月饼  2016 Ingredients   100 gm kao fun 100 gm  icing sugar (sifted) 32 gm Crisco shortening 125 ml ice water  (boil 1 cup of water with some pandan leaves, strain and leave  in the fridge) 350 gm cranberry lotus paste (storebought) a drop or two of pink food colouring Method Sift kao fun and icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Rub in shortening till it resembles bread crumbs. Measure 125 ml chilled pandan water, add in a drop or two of pink colouring, mix well. Gradually add in chilled pink coloured water ...

Mooncake festival is here again.   And looks like I've been collecting and tempted to collect more and more mooncake moulds each year.  I love this 'Fook' or  Prosperity mould which was a gift from a good friend and I made these mooncakes with homemade red bean paste. Red bean paste mooncake  ~   红豆蓉月饼 Ingredients for Skin Dough   150 gm superfine flour (may need to add more if too soft to handle) 90 ml golden syrup 38 ml vegetable oil 2 ml alkaline water Egg wash - 1 whole egg + 1 tsp water, mix and strain Filling - Red bean Paste Method Mix syrup, oil and alkaline water thoroughly till no oil surface.  Use a ball whisk. Sift in flour, mix well with spatula and let rest for 2 hours or more. Knead lightly on floured surface. Dough skin is 25 gm Red bean filling is 25 gm Yield :  11 pieces of mooncakes How to assemble and bake the mooncakes, please check it out 'here' .