Traditional mooncakes with lotus seed and coconut, nut, and seed paste. My mom made the fillings from scratch, and the presses are borrowed from my sister. Happy Tết trung thu from the Le Ladies!
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Servings
12
cakesPrep time
1
hourCooking timeminutes
This recipe is based on RunAway Rice’s Mooncakes with Coconut Filling (Banh Trung Thu / Banh Nuong Nhan Dua).
Ingredients
- Mooncake Filling
600-650g filling of your choice separated into 12-13 50g balls, RunAway Rice’s coconut and nut recipe
- Dry Ingredients
120g all-purpose flour
60g cake flour
- Wet Ingredients
112g or ⅓ cup agave syrup (mooncakes traditionally call for golden syrup, but this can be tricky to find in the US)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 egg yolk
- Equipment Used
Plastic wrap
Parchment paper
Baking sheet
Rolling pin
Plastic mooncake molds
Pastry brush
Directions
- Combine flours in a medium bowl. In a small bowl or cup, add syrup, peanut oil, and egg yolk: mix until combined.
- Form a well in the flour, and pour the syrup mixture into the well: be sure to scrape and add any excess. Combine the flour and syrup mixture together with a fork, stirring in a circular motion. Continue stirring until a dough forms: this should take a few minutes. Gently knead the dough a few times with your hands, without overworking it. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and knead the rested dough gently for 1-2 minutes. Keep it covered in plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
- Assemble the mooncake mold with a desired plate, and coat the interior with flour. Tap the mold to remove the excess flour.
- Weigh the dough needed for one cake: 25g. Roll the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a 3-inch circle with a rolling pin or your fingers. Place a ball of filling of your choice in the center of the dough, then gently work the dough around the filling until completely encased. Pinch the dough together to seal the edges, and roll between your palms until smooth.
- Place the ball on your floured surface, then place the mold over it. Compress the plunger evenly and firmly, then gently lift the mold off the work surface while pushing down on the plunger to release the cake. Transfer the cakes to the baking tray. Continue until all cakes are made.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees, position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Use a small pastry brush to remove any excess flour from the cakes.
- To make an egg wash, combine the egg yolk, water and sesame oil. Strain the mixture to remove large lumps. Set aside.
- Bake the cakes 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Spritz each cake with water. Brush each cake with the egg wash, coating it evenly.
- Return the cakes to the oven, and bake for 7-8 minutes or until the tops are just golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. These cakes are best eaten after they’ve rested for 24 hours. Store in an air-tight container.
Notes
