Shanghai Mooncake with Chocolate, Red Bean & Coconut Filling

MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL

Shanghai Mooncake with Chocolate, Red Bean & Coconut Filling

Makes 12 mini mooncakes

This non-traditional filling is full of caramel, chocolate, crunchy peanuts and sweet coconut against a subtle background of red bean. It is a favourite with children.

Ingredients

Dough 90g butter, softened and cubed 30g sugar 1 tbsp milk 120g self-raising flour 20g custard powder Pinch of salt Filling 180g red bean paste 2 tbsp dessicated coconut 50g store bought chocolate bar with caramel & nuts (we used Reese’s Chocolate Nut Bar 47g) Egg yolk, lightly beaten 1 tsp white sesame seeds

Method

1 To make the pastry, prepare the dough. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Then stir in the milk.

2 In a separate bowl, combine the flour, custard powder and salt. Mix well.

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4 Bring it all together into a soft dough by stirring it into the butter mixture. Knead it lightly with hands to smoothen the dough. Set aside for 20 minutes.

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6 Make the filling. Roughly chop the chocolate bar into small coarse pieces, and mix it evenly with the red bean paste and coconut. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Do the same with the red bean paste, and roll the red bean filling into balls.

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9 Flatten a portion of the dough, place a ball of red bean filling on it and slowly wrap the dough around the filling, pinching and gently pushing the very pliable dough around the filling. Pinch to seal it up and roll again between your palms to reshape it into a ball. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. Remove, brush with egg yolk, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Return it into the oven and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until light golden. Set the mooncakes on a wire rack to cool and store in an airtight container.

A Note on Mooncakes Two essential tools required for making mooncakes are moulds and a digital weighing scale. The latter is necessary for weighing out equal portions of all manner of dough and fillings, as well as the small quantities of lye water. Too much of lye renders the skin overly dark on baking, and too little robs it of its much needed elasticity. Obtain a variety of moulds so that the mooncakes can take on various shapes. Do not feel compelled to use only the traditional wooden ones, pretty as they are. Contemporary plastic moulds come in two pieces or are spring loaded, making them easier to handle. Plastic or silicone moulds can also double up, and are especially necessary for the jellied mooncakes. Use a variety of shapes and designs for flexibility.

Given the plethora of moulds and sizes, there is a simple method to determine the amount of filling and dough. Whatever size the mooncake, a dough-to-filling ratio of approximately 1:3 works well. It takes practice to shape the dough into a thin, even layer around the filling. Work by weight rather than volume. To figure out how much a mould will take, fill it completely with the choice of filling, then weigh it. Based on this weight, work out how much dough and filling you need for each mooncake using the recommended ratio above.

Tea Pairing

t-Series Sencha Green Extra Special Tea This Shanghai style mooncake is brimming with big sweet-salty flavours, thanks to the chocolate nut candy bar, red bean paste and coconut filling. This calls for a flavour contrast in a tea with green, toasty notes. That tea is the t-Series Sencha Green Extra Special that coaxes out the multilayered flavours of the mooncake, and adds a grassy element to the flavours. t-Series Single Estate Assam Tea The t-Series Single Estate Assam Tea, with smooth tannins and a mouth-cleansing effect is a flavour canvas that allows the mooncake’s salty peanut, caramel coconut crunch and pastry elements to take the forefront in taste.

MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL

Traditional Baked Mooncake with Salted Egg & Lotus Paste

Makes 3 mooncakes

This cake graces the festival of lunar worship and moon watching. It is always enjoyed in small wedges, accompanied by tea. Note that the alkaline water is crucial to the recipe.

Ingredients

100g plain flour 50g white corn syrup 25ml canola or soybean oil 2ml alkaline / lye water 300g white lotus paste 3 sea salt duck egg yolks, steamed

Method

1 Combine the flour, corn syrup, oil and alkaline water in a bowl and mix into a soft, sticky dough. Wrap in cling film and set aside for 20 minutes.

2 Divide the lotus paste into three equal portions and roll each into a ball.

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7 Cut each ball of lotus paste in half, place one egg yolk in the middle of the 2 halves, and cover the yolk with the lotus paste, making sure the yolk is nicely centered in the middle. Roll again to reshape. Divide the dough into three equal portions. Roll each into a ball then flatten it lightly with a rolling pin. Place a portion of the filling in the centre of the dough and slowly wrap the dough around the lotus paste ball, easing it over the filling gently until the filling is evenly encased. Dust lightly with some flour and press into the mooncake mould. Unmould and set aside. Repeat for the remaining filling and dough. Before baking, spray the uncooked cake lightly with water (prevents dough from cracking), and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.

8 Remove and carefully brush with some egg yolk. Return the uncooked cake to the oven and continue baking for a further 15-20 minutes until golden.

9 Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. Remove, brush with egg yolk, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Return into the oven and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until light golden.

10 Set the mooncakes on a wire rack to cool and store in an airtight container.

Tea Pairing

t-Series Sencha Green Extra Special Tea This traditional Salted Egg with Lotus Paste mooncake comes across salty and sweet. The t-Series Sencha Green Extra Special Tea counters with a savoury note, while the tea’s top notes of leaf, fresh peas and cut grass is enhanced by the mooncake’s biscuity, nutty aroma. t-Series Single Estate Oolong Leaf Tea t-Series Single Estate Oolong Leaf Tea with whiffs of smoke, peat and herbs sets off the flavours of the sweet lotus cake whilst the tea’s moderate tannins help to temper the texture of the oily rich cake.

MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL

Teochew Spiral Mooncake with Yam Paste & Pumpkin Seeds

Makes 12 mini or 4 full sized mooncakes

In making these mooncakes, it is important to follow the sequence of rolling and turning. Do not overwork the doughs when rolling and reshaping.

Ingredients

Water dough 100g flour 1/4 tsp vinegar 25g shortening 20g sugar 40ml water Pinch of salt Oil Dough 100g flour 40g shortening 1 tsp cocoa powder Pinch of salt

Filling 500g yam paste 2-3 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Method

1 Combine the water dough ingredients together and mix well. Put it on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and pliable. Wrap in cling film and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

2 Combine the oil dough ingredients in a bowl and bring it together into a dough. Knead on a floured board until it is smooth and pliable. Wrap it cling film and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

3 Mix the yam paste with the pumpkin seeds and combine well. Rolling the spiral dough

4 Remove the two doughs from the cling wrap.

5 Divide the oil dough into two equal portions, and shape into balls.

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7 Divide the water dough into two equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll the water dough flat with a rolling pin. Place one portion of the oil dough on the flattened water dough and wrap the water dough evenly around the oil dough. Reshape into a ball.

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9 Next, place the dough ball on a floured board and roll it into a flat, rectangular or elongated oval. Ensure that the oil dough does not break through the water dough. Roll it up into a cigar shape and turn it 90 degrees so that one pointed end is closest to you. Use the rolling pin and roll it flat again from the part closest to you.

10 Reroll into a cigar shape, starting from the end closest to you.

11 Cut the cigar into four equal portions.

12 Lay the cut end facing upwards and press it down lightly with the palm. Use the rolling pin and roll it out into a small disc. The spiral lines should now be visible.

13 Place a portion of the yam filling in the middle of the flattened spiral dough and wrap the filing up fully. Pinch to seal.

14 Repeat with all the remaining dough.

15 Lay the uncooked mooncakes on a baking sheet and bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes until lightly golden.

Tea Pairing

The Spiral Teochew Yam and Pumpkin Seed Mooncake is at once savoury-sweet, with a grainy texture. It is also starchy with a crumbly pastry.

t-Series Pure Chamomile Flowers Tea For a caffeine-free infusion, brew some t-Series Pure Chamomile Flowers Tea. It plays up to the sweet flavours of the yam and pumpkin and adds an overtone of crisp apples and flowers when the tea is sipped to moisten the mooncake in the mouth. t-Series Pu-Erh No.1 Leaf Tea t-Series Pu-Erh No.1 Leaf Tea is an earthy tasting tea and evokes the enjoyment of moonlight whilst poring over some old documents in an ancient Chinese mansion.

t-Series Lychee with Rose and Almond Tea Alternatively, the highly floral and aromatic t-Series Lychee with Rose and Almond Tea adds a flavour dimension to the mooncake in a pairing that is contemporary in setting.