This is the first mid-autumn festival I have spent with my family in a long time, so homemade mooncakes became my project for the last few weeks. I spent a lot of time researching recipes and scouring the Asian grocery store for ingredients.
I ended up making two batches of these snow skin mooncakes, that’s how delicious they were! Mooncakes are time consuming, but that’s kind of the point. What is a holiday if not a chance to spend a lot of time in the kitchen making delicious food?
Snow skin mooncakes are known for being easier than traditional Cantonese mooncakes, and this recipe is very straightforward. You really can’t go wrong! And even if you don’t have a mooncake mold, these will still be delicious.
Skin
50g powdered sugar
30g wheat starch
50g of glutinous rice flour
50g rice flour
230g whole milk
30g sweetened condensed milk
30g corn oil
Filling options
Red bean paste: I used store bought red bean paste, which saves a lot of time. The ingredients in the paste I bought was just red bean paste and sugar, so you can add some oil and cook it on a stovetop to help create a softer texture.
Taro or purple sweet potato filling (I imagine you could do this with kabocha squash too!): This is also an easy filling to make. Just steam your taro or potato until soft and combine with sugar and butter.
Mung bean paste: A little more involved- soaked mung beans get cooked until soft and then mashed through a sieve.
Cheesecake filling: A crossover episode! Just mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar to taste, and any other flavorings you want! I added crumbled graham crackers and shiso syrup.
Other
15g toasted glutinous rice flour (just place rice flour in a dry pan and cook over medium heat until slightly golden)
This recipe works best if you have prepared your filling already, and it has had time to cool before you begin.
Instructions
- Set a pot of water with a steamer on medium heat.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, wheat starch, glutinous rice flour, and rice flour. Add whole milk and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Add sweetened condensed milk and corn oil and whisk to combine. The oil will take a while to mix in with the rest of the ingredients, but just keep whisking, it will happen!
- Once the pot of water is boiling, place your dough into the steamer and cover it with a plate to prevent excess water from dripping in during steaming.
- Steam for 25 minutes or until a chopstick comes out clean. There will be a layer of oil floating on top, this is normal.
- While the dough is steaming, you can weigh your filling. Divide your filling into equal sized portions depending on the size of your mooncake mold. 25g portions for a 50g mold, 37 g portions for a 75g mold, or 50g for a 100g mold. You can also prepare your toasted glutinous rice filling at this time.
- Remove from heat and score the dough with your chopsticks to break it up and allow it to cool faster.
- Once the dough is cool enough to touch, you can begin kneading. Wear plastic gloves to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. Knead until the dough is smooth and the oil has been combined back into the dough.
- At this point, you can add color to the dough if desired. Matcha powder, turmeric, and beet juice all make for great natural food colorings!
- Divide your dough by weight according to the size of your mooncake mold. 25g portions for a 50g mold, 37 g portions for a 75g mold, or 50g for a 100g mold. Roll each portion into a ball and keep covered to prevent from drying out.
- Place a ball of dough on the center of your palm and flatten with your other hand. Place a ball of filling in the center, and flip upside down so the dough is draped over the filling. Gravity will help the dough wrap around the filling.
- Flip the dough upside down again so the filling is now on top. Using your thumb and forefinger, gently pinch the dough upwards and seal at the top.
- Roll into a sphere and set aside. Repeat with the rest of your dough and filling.
- Roll a dough ball in the toasted glutinous rice flour so that it is coated evenly. You can also sprinkle some flour on your mooncake mold to prevent sticking.
- Place the dough ball on a flat surface, and place your mooncake mold over it. Press down gently but firmly and release. Lift the mold to reveal your finished mooncake! Repeat with the rest of your dough.