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Traditional Mooncakes ~ 2011


This is my third attempt at  making traditional mooncakes and now I believe that I'll always need to experiment thrice before I can sort of 'succeed'.  I've been watching videos on You-Tube, reading up recipes on traditional mooncakes just to get the hang of making them.  Have to admit that the more videos I watched the more confused and disillusioned I got.  So, before I raise the white flag, I gave myself one last chance.  I tried Anncoo's Handmade Piggy Mooncakes recipe for the dough and finally, yes finally I got it.  No more sticky, difficult to handle dough where I had to  load in more flour ultimately distorting the recipe.  Thank you, Ann!













Looking at the imprints, I believe there's still  room for improvement.  Hopefully I can deliver better looking ones next season!

Recipe for Traditional Mooncakes

Ingredients
  • 150 gm superfine flour - sifted
  • 90 ml golden syrup
  • 38 ml vegetable oil
  • 2 gm alkaline water
Filling
  • 980 to 1 kg lotus paste
  • 20 gm melon seeds - lightly toasted
Egg Glaze :  1 whole egg + 1 tsp water, mix well, pass through a sieve and strain.

Method
  1. Mix the golden syrup, oil and alkaline water thoroughly with a whisk. 
  2. Pour the liquid onto the sifted flour, mix with a spatula till well combined and not sticky.
  3. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 30 mins.  (I left it for an hour, as I had to prepare the paste).  
  4. Mix the melon seeds into the lotus paste and weigh out 140 gm of paste.  Roll into balls and set aside.
  5. Knead the dough lightly in the bowl or on a floured surface.  Weigh out  portions  of  40 gm. dough.  Lightly roll dough into a ball, flatten on a plastic sheet make it a bit thicker in the centre and thinner at the sides.
  6. Put in a ball of paste and wrap up, pushing gently up the sides to fully enclose the paste.  Roll the ball of dough between the palms of your hand.
  7. Place the ball of dough into the lightly floured plastic plunger mould, flatten to conform to the shape of the mould.  Put this on a parchment lined baking tray and press out the cake.  If there is flour on the cake, lightly dust off with a clean brush.
  8. Lightly spray water on the cakes to prevent cracking.
  9. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for 20 mins., remove from oven, let cakes cool for 15 mins., apply egg glaze once and return to the oven to bake for 7 mins. @ 175 deg.C.  Change position of the baking tray.
  10. Remove cakes from the oven and let them cool completely.
  11. Once cooled, place them in an air-tight container for the skin to soften.  Normally it will take about 3 days, thereafter they can be eaten.





I'm submitting this entry to 
Aspiring Bakers # 11 Mid-Autumn Treats  (September 2011)
hosted by
Happy Home Baking

and also taking this opportunity to wish those of you who are celebrating this festive season on

 12th September 2011

Happy Mid-Autumn Mooncake ~ Lantern Festival!
Labels:

Comments

  1. ann lowSeptember 9, 2011 at 12:50 AM

    Hey Cheah! Your mooncake looks so perfect :D So happy that you tried my recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. JanineSeptember 9, 2011 at 8:24 AM

    I think your imprints look good! Quite perfect already ;p And your egg wash looks great, a wonderful golden color!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak LoverSeptember 9, 2011 at 12:14 PM

    Actually your imprint look nice to me, perfect golden colour. Happy Latern festival to you too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sokehah cheahSeptember 9, 2011 at 12:28 PM

    Ann
    A big thank you to you. Once I master the skin dough, then can slowly experiment with the different types of paste.

    Janine
    Thanks. Still can improve.

    Sonia
    Thank you. You have a great time with your kids too, lighting up lanterns in your garden!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yummy BakesSeptember 9, 2011 at 1:56 PM

    Cheah, I also think your moon cakes are perfect - nice imprints.

    ReplyDelete
  6. ReanaclaireSeptember 9, 2011 at 3:24 PM

    Cheah, can take orders already!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sokehah cheahSeptember 9, 2011 at 3:57 PM

    Yummy Bakes
    Thanks but I still need to practise more, maybe it's the pressure of pressing out the cakes.

    Claire
    Not up to that standard yet. I make only a few pieces at a time.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Elin ChiaSeptember 9, 2011 at 4:33 PM

    Cheah...hahaha better than those sold at the shop...well done !:) Happy Lantern Festival to you :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. penny aka jeroxieSeptember 9, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    So pretty!! Can you send some over?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Angie's RecipesSeptember 9, 2011 at 10:39 PM

    How pretty! Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Shu HanSeptember 9, 2011 at 11:15 PM

    congrats! and you are definitely very persistent! I will also stubbornly research a lot and watch a lot of videos (and get confused) when I really want to learn how to make sth!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Biren @ Roti n RiceSeptember 10, 2011 at 11:44 PM

    Your mooncakes are just beautiful! The pastry looks so glossy and smooth. Ann is truly a master baker :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sokehah cheahSeptember 11, 2011 at 12:45 AM

    Elin
    Thanks. Happy Mid-autumn festival to you too!

    Penny
    I wish I could.

    Angie
    Thank you.

    Shu Han
    Yes, need to be persistent then only you'll learn.

    Biren @ Roti n Rice
    Yes, I agree with you. She's very talented.

    ReplyDelete
  14. MarySeptember 11, 2011 at 5:15 AM

    These look perfect! Way to persevere and get them the way you wanted them. I'm impressed.

    ReplyDelete
  15. hanushiSeptember 11, 2011 at 6:37 PM

    This is really pretty! The imprints are quite clear! :) Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  16. JeannieSeptember 12, 2011 at 9:51 AM

    Love your mooncakes, you managed to get the skin to be so thin! I didn't make the traditional mooncakes this year, been too busy and too lazy lol! hope I could make some for next year. Happy Mid Autumn Festival to you and family:D

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sokehah cheahSeptember 12, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    Barefeet in The Kitchen
    Thanks for encouragement. I normally give myself 3 chances!

    Hanushi
    Thank you.

    Jeannie
    Thank you. Prices of mooncakes have shot up so much, so resorted to DIY, more economical.

    ReplyDelete
  18. AliceSeptember 12, 2011 at 11:33 PM

    pretty mooncakes :)
    Happy Mid Autumn Festival to u :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. HankerieSeptember 13, 2011 at 12:49 AM

    Cheah, I love your thin layer crust mooncake. Nicely shape and done. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. AmeliaSeptember 19, 2011 at 9:07 AM

    Hi cheah, your mooncake looks perfect. I like Anncoo's recipe, the dough very easy to handle.

    ReplyDelete

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