Heong Fah Piggy Mooncakes - 香化猪仔饼 ~ 2014

These little piggies ......... don't you find these little piggies cute?   The pig is considered as a symbol of wealth and prosperity and I'm sure that children will be thrilled to receive these cute little piggies during the coming Mooncake or Mid-Autumn lantern festival.  I didn't have the heart to 'slaughter' these piggies for a picture to expose the 'innards'..... cashew nuts which I had added to give an extra crunch.

The inquisitive one .....

Recipe for Heong Fah Piggy Mooncakes

Ingredients

• 200 gm superfine flour 
• 180 gm lotus paste (softened at room temperature)
• 130 ml golden syrup
• 50 ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp alkaline water
• 15 gm melon seeds lightly toasted (I used lightly toasted cashew nuts)
• Black beans for eyes (rinse and pat dry)
• Egg wash - 1 egg + 1 tsp water, mix and strain

Method

1. Mix golden syurp, oil and alkaline water thoroughly.  Leave to rest for 2 hours.
2. Sift in flour, mix well.
3. Add in lotus paste, mix well.  Leave to rest for another 2 hours.
4. Divide dough into 8 pieces of  80 gm each, roll into balls.  Leave some balance dough to make nose, ears and tails.  (You may need to add in more flour if the dough is too soft to handle).
5. Take a ball of dough, put 2 cashew nuts in the centre, roll up and shape into a short cylinder.
6. Squeeze the front part of the dough to form the neck of the piggy.  Pinch a small portion of dough to form the nose.  Poke holes with a skewer to form the nostrils.  Pinch some dough to form the ears, make a 'V' impression with the skewer.  Put black beans below the ears to form eyes.  Make an impression with the skewer to form the legs on both sides of the body.  Turn piggy round to the back, use skewer to make an impression at the bottom to form butt.  Take a bit of dough, roll it slightly to form the tail and stick it at the 'buttocks'.
7. Bake in a preheated oven, middle shelf @ 170 deg.C for 20 mins.  Remove from oven and let cool for 15 mins.
8. Apply egg wash all over the piggy, except the eyes.
9. Return to the oven on the lower shelf, @ 160 deg.C, bake for 5 mins.
10. Remove from oven and apply egg wash to the eyes, let cool.  Let the piggies rest for 2 to 3 days before consuming.
11. Yield :  8 piggies

I'm linking this post to the Little Thumbs Up event and the theme for August is 'Flour'

jointly organised by

Zoe of  Bake for Happy Kids  and  Doreen of  My Little Favourite DIY

and hosted by

Diana of  Domestic Goddess Wannabe

and

I'm joining Best Recipes for Everyone August 2014 Event Theme :  Mooncake
hosted by  Fion  XuanHom's Mom