Mooncake (Banh Trung Thu)
I am very excited to share this recipe with you! I have been eating store bought mooncake for the past 30 years and now I finally got the courage to venture out to make them at home. By making this treat at home, I get to have control over the sugar that gets put into the cakes, which makes them a little bit healthier and more enjoyable for my taste buds. I also have control over the flavor of my mooncakes. Baking has not been my forte, so I tried to stay away from using oven, however, I found that baking is the easiest part of the recipe. The consistency of the filling was actually the hardest part because it was a little labor intensive. Nevertheless, the homemade versions are the best treats to share with your loved ones during the mid-autumn festival.
Ingredients
Dough: for the best results try to be exact with the measurement ( makes 10 mooncakes)
2.5 cup sifted all purpose flour
6 tbsp peanut oil
1 tablespoon flour for coating
3/4 cup golden syrup
1 tsp of lye water
Filling: (you have flexibility in the fillings; I prefer the combination of mung beans and fresh fruits; you can have whatever you want as long as you can make them into a thick paste so they can form into a ball. Red bean is also good or lotus seeds.)
1 lb of fresh jackfruit or durian. (Lychee or Mango would be good as well)
1 cup of steamed mung beans. 3/4 cup of raw mung beans - soak in water for few hours then steam will yield ~ 1 cup
1/3 cup of sugar; try add less first then add more later
2 tbsp of glutinous rice flour
A pinch of salt
One can of coconut cream
3 tbsp of vegetable oil
Egg wash
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
Recommended equipment
mist spray bottle, filled with water
parchment paper
Instructions:
To make the dough:
In a large mixing bowl, or Stand Mixer - add the golden syrup, peanut oil, and lye water, and mix well. Add the sifted flour and knead/mix until the flour is well incorporated. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 2-4 hours.
To make the filling:
In blender, add cooked mung beans, durian or jackfruit, rice flour and start with 1/4 cup of sugar. Blend and taste, if it needs more sweetness then add more sugar. In a saucepan over low heat, add oil and mung bean fruit paste. Stir continuously for about 30 minutes. The paste should be thick. Transfer the paste to a container and let it cool in the fridge for about 2 hour. Once it has cooled, the filling will become firmer and easier to manage.
To assemble the mooncakes:
Use a kitchen scale to measure ~ 2.6 ounces of filling at a time. Form paste into a ball with your palms and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the rest of the filling. Use the scale to measure ~ 1.8 ounces of dough at a time. Form it into a ball with your palms. Take a ball of dough and use your palm to pat it flat or evenly. Place a ball of filling in the center and wrap the dough around it, bringing the edges of the dough up to cover the filling completely. Roll it into a uniform ball.
Dust the ball with flour. Place it into the mold and gently flatten it until it fills the mold. Put the mold on a parchment-lined board, press the stamp down, and slowly lift the mold to release the mooncake. Immediately cover with tea towel to prevent it from drying out. Repeat with the rest of the dough and the filling. Spray the mooncakes with water before baking them to prevent from cracking.
To bake the mooncakes:
Position a baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water until combined.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Lightly brush the egg wash all over the mooncakes.
Return the mooncakes to the middle rack of the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, and bake for another 10 minutes.
Transfer the mooncakes to wire racks to cool
Watch video below for additional instructions
