HISTORY OF THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the major holidays in Chinese culture, and it falls on the fifteenth of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. This festival has many different names in Chinese, including 中秋節 (Mid-Autumn Festival), 八月節 (the festival of the eight month), and 團員節 (reunion festival). Click here for a guide on how to pronounce these festivals in Chinese.
Historically, China was an agrarian society, so many of the holidays in Chinese culture revolve around the celebration of harvest. In this case, 中秋節 began as a celebration of the bounty of the mid-autumn harvest. People also believed that on this day of the year, the full moon was at its largest and brightest. Thus, it was the perfect time for families to gather and celebrate harmony and togetherness.
CANTONESE-STYLE MOONCAKES
Today, when we think about the Mid-Autumn Festival now, mooncakes immediately come to mind. There are many varieties of mooncakes, but traditional Cantonese-style mooncakes (廣式月餅) are what I grew up eating.
Traditional Cantonese-style mooncakes are golden brown cakes with a thin and soft outer skin that wraps a sweet filling (often red bean paste or lotus seed paste) and possibly one or two salted egg yolks. They also generally have intricate designs or patterns on the top of the cakes, many of which contain the logo or name of the bakery that made the mooncakes. Mooncakes are labor intensive to make, which is why they can carry a high price tag.
Mama Lin shared a mooncake recipe with me several years ago, but I had been avoiding making them on my own. I knew it would take a long time before I was able to make reasonably nice looking mooncakes, and I figured my mom would make mooncakes for the family.
This year, I finally decided to put my big-girl pants on and just face this challenge head on. After baking many, many batches of mooncakes over the past two months, I am proud to say that I can make delicious red bean paste mooncakes that I prefer over store-bought ones!
This mooncake recipe is a long one, as there is a lot of information and cooking tips that I want to share. Get ready as we dig deep into the mooncake-making process.
COOKING NOTES FOR MOONCAKE RECIPE
MAKING THE MOONCAKE SKIN
While you only need 4 ingredients to make the mooncake skin, there are 2 that you’ll need to get in specialty stores or online: golden syrup and kansui.
Golden Syrup is a type of inverted sugar syrup (called 轉化糖漿 in Chinese) that’s a popular ingredient in a lot of British desserts. It’s a syrup made from sugar, water, and an acid (such as lemon juice) to prevent the syrup from crystallizing. Golden syrup is a key ingredient that gives Cantonese-style mooncakes its distinct taste, texture, and golden color.
Technically speaking, you can make golden syrup from scratch, but I haven’t been able to make it with consistent results. I recommend purchasing Lyle’s golden syrup to use for this mooncake recipe. I have found it in specialty stores and on Amazon (affiliate link). If you live in the Sacramento area, Nugget Markets usually has Lyle’s golden syrup in stock.
Kansui, 鹼水/枧水 (jian shui in Mandarin and gansui in Cantonese), is known as “lye water” or “alkaline water” in English. Usually sold in bottles, kansui is a mixture of potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Because kansui is an alkaline solution, it raises the pH in a food item.
In Chinese and Asian cooking, kansui has a few purposes. Kansui is responsible for the golden hue and springiness in Chinese egg noodles and ramen, creating a texture that is chewy and al dente. Kansui also provides the distinctive browning in Cantonese-style mooncake skins. I also use kansui in my red bean paste recipe. You can usually find kansui in Asian grocery stores or on Amazon (affiliate link), though it is much more expensive online.
RED BEAN PASTE FILLING
I modified my red bean paste recipe to make the filling for these mooncakes. First, I bumped up the amount of sugar from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup (I thought the mooncakes tasted bland with less sugar). If you want to consume less sugar, stick to the original half cup amount. I also added an additional tablespoon of walnut oil to ensure that the paste stays moist even after the baking process.
To avoid a ridiculously long recipe below, I omitted the steps on making the red bean paste below. Please refer to my red bean paste recipe for directions and ingredient amounts.
MOONCAKE MOLDS
There are many types of molds you can use to make mooncakes. First, there’s traditional wooden ones that look like a paddle with a cavity in the center (see photo above, right). At the bottom of the cavity is an intricate pattern that has been carved into the wood. Another, more popular, type of mold are plastic ones with a large handle sticking up from the center (see photo above, left). I like using this style of mooncake mold because they often come as sets with plates that you can change to give mooncakes different designs.
You can usually find these plastic mooncake molds on Amazon (affiliate link) or on Etsy. When purchasing plastic molds for this mooncake recipe, make sure to purchase ones that are meant to make 50g to 75g mooncakes. In other words, buy the smaller variety of mooncake mold.
SALTED EGG YOLK
In many traditional Cantonese-style mooncakes, you’ll find one or two round salted egg yolks in the center of the mooncake. The yolks symbolize the full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Growing up, I absolutely loved eating the salted yolk, but I started to like them less and less and I’ve gotten older.
The mooncake recipe below outlines how to make mooncakes without the yolks. However, I’ll add directions in the notes section on how to make mooncakes with salted yolks.
BAKING MOONCAKES
In general, you usually bake the mooncakes twice. First, you bake the mooncakes for 10 minutes. Then, remove the mooncakes from the oven, brush a thin layer of egg wash over the mooncakes and bake them for another 9 to 10 minutes.
According to Kristina Cho in her cookbook Mooncakes & Milk Bread (affiliate link), the first round of baking is to let the mooncake design set. The second stage of baking is to finish off the baking process and give the mooncake skin its golden color. (By the way, you can find Kristina’s cookbook on Amazon or Bookshop.org, affiliate links).
When applying the egg wash, make sure to apply a very thin layer so you don’t flood the indentations of the design on the top of the mooncake. If you apply too much egg wash, the design won’t come out as clearly after the mooncakes are baked. I like to use a small natural bristle brush (not silicone) to brush the egg wash over the mooncakes. Immediately after I apply the egg wash to one mooncake, I brush the top with a second natural bristle brush to remove excess egg wash. You do not need to brush the sides of the mooncake with egg wash.
To ensure even baking, I bake the mooncakes in two batches (8 mooncakes at a time).
FRESHLY BAKED MOONCAKES
Freshly baked mooncakes are solid as a rock. They also tend to have some cracks at the top and the designs don’t look as sharp. This is completely normal. In general, you should wait 2 days before eating the mooncakes (even better if you are patient enough to wait for 3 days). During these 2 days, the moisture and oil will return to the skin in a process known as 回油 in Chinese, which loosely translates to “letting the oil return.” After 2 days, the skin softens, the cracks fade away, and you can see a shiny gloss develop on the top of the mooncakes. Of course, you can eat the mooncakes the day they’re made or the next day but expect dry mooncakes.
HOW LONG DO MOONCAKES LAST?
Store the mooncakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also store the mooncakes in the fridge for up to 8 or 9 days or freeze them for several months. Let the mooncakes reach room temperature before eating again.
HOW TO SAY MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN CHINESE
There are many different ways to say the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinese. Here are some common names and their pronunciations:
- 中秋節 (中秋节 in simplified characters): This literally translates to the “mid-autumn festival” and is pronounced zhong chau jzeet in Cantonese and zhong qiu jie in Mandarin. This is the most commonly used name to describe the festival.
- 八月節 (八月节 in simplified characters): This literally translates to the “festival of the eight month” and is pronounced baht yoot jzeet in Cantonese and bot ngoot daht in Toisan. This is what the festival was commonly called in 台山 (Toisan/Taishan), a region in southern China where my family was from. I’m not sure if Mandarin-speaking communities actually use this phrase to describe the Mid-Autumn Festival.
- 八月十五: This literally translates to the fifteenth day of the eight month and is pronounced baht yoot sup mm in Cantonese and ba yue shi wu in Mandarin.
- 團員節 (团圆节 in simplified characters): This literally translates to “reunion festival” and is pronounced toon yoon jzeet in Cantonese and tuan yuan jie in Mandarin.
Cantonese-Style Mooncake Recipe (廣式月餅)
When testing the recipe, I used a scale to measure most of the ingredients. I recommend that you use one, too. I got the volume measurement for the flour by using the spoon-and-sweep method. For the filling, I used my homemade red bean paste, and you can find the recipe here. I modified the original recipe slightly to use more sugar and oil (see note 9 of that recipe). You can make the red bean paste up to 3 to 4 days ahead. I don’t like mooncakes with salted yolks anymore, but read the notes below for directions on how to add salted egg yolks.
To shape the mooncakes I used 50g and 75g plastic mooncake molds that have a long handle sticking up from the center. You can usually find these mooncake molds on Amazon or Etsy.
Equipment
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2 large baking sheets
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parchment paper or quart-size sandwich bag
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Rolling Pin
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50g to 75g mooncake molds they’re the small mooncake molds
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2 natural bristle brush it’s fine if you only have one
Ingredients
Mooncake Skin
- 1/2 cup (140g) golden syrup (see note 1)
- scant 1/3 cup (60g) safflower, vegetable, or canola oil any neutral-flavored oil works
- 3/4 teaspoon kansui (see note 2)
- 1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
Filling
- 1 to 1 1/4 cup red bean paste
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Make Mooncake Skin
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In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the golden syrup, oil, and kansui. Add the all-purpose flour to the bowl at once. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything together, until nearly all of the flour has been absorbed.
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Use a silicone spatula (or any flexible spatula) to scrape the dry flour from the sides of the bowl and fold it into the dough. Keep scraping the sides of the bowl and folding the dough until it looks smooth and there is no dry flour left. The dough will feel slightly tacky to touch, but should not be overly sticky to touch. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or silicone lid and let the dough rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Divide Bean Paste
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Measure 16 portions of red bean paste that are 25 grams each (1 tablespoon of paste). Roll the bean paste portions into balls and transfer to a plate.
Shape Mooncakes
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
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Lightly grease a large plate with oil. Divide the mooncake dough into 16 pieces of about 25 to 26 grams each (it should be a scant 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough). Roll the dough portions into balls and place them on the greased plate.
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Because of the slight stickiness of the dough, I recommend rolling each ball of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic (from a cut up quart-sized sandwich bag). I like using the plastic sheets because they’re easier to maneuver and I can rinse and reuse them. Take a ball of the mooncake skin and place it between the sheets of plastic (or parchment paper). Flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand.
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Then, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a circle of about 3.25 to 3.5 inches wide. If you are making mooncakes with salted yolks, the dough needs to be at least 3.5 inches wide. I like to roll out the edges a little more thinly than the center.
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Remove the top sheet of plastic (or parchment paper). Hold onto a piece of red bean paste with your left hand and drape the rolled out mooncake skin over the filling. Remove the other sheet of plastic or parchment paper.
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Flip everything over so that the skin sits on the crook of your right hand. Wrap the skin around the filling and seal it up. If the skin rips during this stage, simply pinch the dough together. Once you finish wrapping the bean paste, roll everything in your hands until you get a smooth ball. (NOTE: I like rolling up the mooncakes this way because it doesn’t leave too many air pockets and it better ensures that the dough is evenly distributed throughout the cake. If there’s a more intuitive way for you to wrap the mooncakes, feel free to use it.)
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Lightly dust your work surface. Roll the wrapped mooncake in the flour to lightly dust it. Then, gently roll the ball into a short oblong log. This will make the mooncake easier to slide into the mold.
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Insert the mooncake into the mold and gently press it down with your thumbs. This helps to prevent the mooncake from falling out when you flip the mold over.
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Flip the mooncake mold over a lightly floured surface. Use medium pressure to press down on the handle of the mooncake mold. Do not press down too hard or else the mooncake skin will start to squirt out from the bottom. Transfer the shaped mooncake to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue shaping 7 more mooncakes so that you have 8 mooncakes total.
Bake Mooncakes
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Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the mooncakes for 10 minutes.
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While the first batch of mooncakes are baking, prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg and water together. I like to fully bake the first batch of mooncakes before moving on to the second batch. If your kitchen is hot, refrigerate the remaining mooncake skin and bean paste.
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After 10 minutes of baking, remove the mooncakes from the oven. They should start to turn golden at the top.
Apply Egg Wash
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I like to use 2 natural bristle brushes to apply egg wash. Dip the first brush into the egg wash and apply a very thin layer over a mooncake. Then, use the second brush to brush over the mooncake to remove excess egg wash. You don’t want to flood the indentations on the mooncake with egg wash because the design won’t come out as clearly. Continue applying egg wash to the remaining mooncakes. If you don’t have 2 brushes, just try your best to apply a thin layer of egg wash. You do not need to brush the sides of the mooncake with egg wash.
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Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake the mooncakes for another 9 to 10 minutes, until the top of the mooncakes are a nice and even golden brown color.
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Once the first batch is done baking, let the mooncakes cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Finish shaping the second batch of mooncakes and bake them on top of the second prepared baking sheet.
Wait 2 Days Before Eating Mooncakes (Be Patient!)
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Freshly baked mooncakes are solid as a rock. They also tend to have some cracks at the top and the designs don’t look as sharp. This is completely normal. In general, you should wait 2 days before eating the mooncakes (even better if you are patient enough to wait for 3 days). During these 2 days, the moisture returns to the skin and softens it. The cracks on the mooncakes also fade away and you can see a shiny gloss develop at the top of the mooncakes. Of course, you can eat the mooncakes the day they’re made or the next day but expect dry mooncakes.
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Store the mooncakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also store the mooncakes in the fridge for up to 8 or 9 days or freeze them for several months. Let the mooncakes reach room temperature before eating again.
Notes
- Golden Syrup is a type of inverted sugar syrup (called 轉化糖漿 in Chinese) made from sugar, water, and an acid (such as lemon juice) to prevent the syrup from crystallizing. It is a key ingredient that gives Cantonese-style mooncakes its distinct taste, texture, and golden color. You can find it in specialty stores or on Amazon.
- Kansui (also known as “lye water” or “alkaline water”): Often sold in bottles, kansui is a mixture of potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Kansui will help give these mooncakes their distinct golden brown color. You can usually find kansui in Asian grocery stores or on Amazon, though it is much more expensive online. If it is very difficult for you to find, you can omit kansui, but the mooncakes likely won’t look like the ones you see in these photos.
- Salted Yolk: For those of you who want to add salted egg yolks to the filling, buy a package of pre-cooked salted yolks. They usually come in shrink-wrapped packages in Asian grocery stores. Because this recipe yields relatively small mooncakes, you won’t be able to fit an entire yolk in the center of the mooncake. Therefore, slice the salted yolks in half before you wrap them in red bean paste.
- Using Square or Circular Mooncake Molds: Mooncakes made with these molds can puff out or sag at the bottom slightly. When that happens, I gently use my fingers or stiff bench scrapers to straighten out the mooncake. Be careful because the pastry is very delicate and can rip at the bottom easily. It’s not necessary to straighten out the mooncakes–it’s merely a cosmetic issue.
- Make Ahead Tips: You can make the dough up to 2 days ahead and the bean paste 4 or 5 days ahead.
Nutrition
The post Cantonese-Style Mooncake Recipe (廣式月餅) appeared first on Healthy Nibbles by Lisa Lin.
