Mid Autumn Of Joy Mooncake Recipe

Prepare lotus seeds (if using dried)

Rinse 300 g dried lotus seeds. Soak in cold water overnight (8–12 hours). Drain and remove any green cores (bitter germ) if present. Simmer the soaked seeds in fresh water until very soft, about 45–60 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

If using canned lotus paste, skip soaking/simmer step and transfer paste to a bowl for smoothing.

In a food processor, grind the cooked lotus seeds (or canned paste) until smooth. For a very smooth paste, push through a fine sieve or continue processing until silky.

Transfer the ground paste to a nonstick skillet or heavy saucepan. Add 150 ml water and 120 g granulated sugar. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and paste thickens and becomes glossy, about 8–12 minutes.

Stir in 60 ml vegetable oil and 1 tsp salt, continue to cook and stir 5–8 minutes until the paste pulls away from the pan and has a pliable, smooth, slightly oily texture. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Divide into 60–65 g portions for each mooncake filling (adjust portion size based on mold capacity).

Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Rinse salted egg yolks and pat dry. Place yolks on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for 5–7 minutes until just set but still slightly soft in center. Allow to cool. If using, wrap one yolk per mooncake with the lotus paste portions (each lotus portion should weigh about 50–60 g before wrapping).

In a mixing bowl, combine 200 g golden syrup and 2 tsp alkaline (lye) water; stir until homogeneous. Add 70 ml vegetable oil and mix well.

Sift 350 g all-purpose flour into the syrup mixture in 2 additions, folding gently until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but manageable. If too dry, add 1–2 tsp water; if too wet, dust a little flour.

Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 1 hour (this relaxes the gluten and allows the syrup to fully hydrate the flour).

After resting, divide the dough into portions. Use a ratio of roughly 1:2 (skin:fill weight). For example, if using 60 g filling, weigh dough portions of 30 g each. Roll each dough portion into a ball and similarly portion the cooled filling (with or without yolk).

Lightly flour your work surface. Flatten a dough ball into a disc, wrap it around a filling ball, and pinch to seal, smoothing seam side down. Roll gently into a round ball, then dust lightly with flour.

Lightly dust the mooncake mold with a little flour. Place the filled ball into the mold, press evenly to form pattern and compact the cake. Turn out carefully onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat until all mooncakes are molded (should make about 8–10 standard 100 g molds depending on sizes).

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Arrange mooncakes on the baking sheet leaving 2–3 cm space between each.

Bake for 6–8 minutes, then remove from oven and lightly brush with a thin layer of egg wash (do not soak). Return to oven and bake another 6–8 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Total bake time about 12–16 minutes. Watch closely to avoid overbrowning.

Remove mooncakes from oven and let cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (this helps them retain shape).

For best texture and glossy surface, store cooled mooncakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 24–48 hours to allow oils to migrate to the skin (this is called 'blooming'). If you used salted egg yolks, store in refrigerator after 24 hours and consume within 5–7 days.

Optional: Before serving, lightly brush any remaining egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top, or reheat gently for a few minutes to freshen.