Chef Kar Moon Cakes  2024 

              Tuesday September 17, 2024

▲ Richmond Centre

This year Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 17, which is also my birthday; hence double happiness for me. I prepared two types of moon cakes to share with my friends. These two types of moon cakes are Traditional Cantonese Moon Cakes and Hong Kong Snow Skin Moon Cakes.

1. Traditional Cantonese Moon Cakes

Cantonese Moon Cakes originated from Guangzhou. The important characteristic of these moon cakes are that decorative design or pattern on the cake face are exquisite relief. The skin is thin and stuffing is rich; moisturizing and soft; bright and shiny; colour of skin is golden. Cantonese moon cakes can be classified by skin type as Syrup Skin, Puff Pastry and Snow Skin. Syrup Skin is the main type. Puff Pastry Moon Cake absorbs the way of preparation of western desserts; combines the characterists of Cantonese Moon Cake; produces mainly desserts with lotus seeds.

Moon Cake Stuffing: red beans, mung beans, purple yam, yellow sweet potatoes, red beans + purple yam, mung bean + yellow sweet potatoes, rock sugar/slab sugar, sunflower oil

Method:

1. Add water and steam cook the ingredients, add  rock sugar or slab sugar, drain out water

2. Use a spoon to smash ingredients, add oil, roll into balls

Syrup: 2 slab sugar, add 1 cup of water, use a pan to cook to reduce water to form syrup

Moon Cake Skin: Syrup Skin

Syrup Skin Ingredients: low gluten flour (bread flour) 175g, syrup 125g, corn oil 30g, lye water 1g

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients gently; do not knead to avoid forming gluten; flour dough is not sticky.

2. Use folding method: use hands to flatten flour dough, fold flour dough, repeat this process 8 time. Place the folded dough in fridge for 1 hour.

3. According to size of moon cake mold, cut a piece of dough and make thin disc, wrap Moon Cake Stuffing with disc, make into a ball. Use moon cake mold to press moon cake.

4. Place moon cake in oven at 350°F; bake to golden brown.

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2.  Hong Kong Snow Skin Moon Cake

Snow Skin Moon Cake is a new style of moon cakes without baking originating from Hong Kong. It must be kept in low temperature. Its skin is made up of glutinous flour and flour. Stuffing, beside traditional lotus seeds, also has fruit puree, mashed beans, custard. No need to bake by oven, hence no need to brush cake face with oil.  

Preparation of Snow Skin Moon Cake originated from making of banana cake. Cake skin is white. It must be stored in fridge at 2-5 degree C.

Moon Cake Stuffing: red beans, mung beans, purple yam, yellow split peas, rock sugar or slab sugar, sunflower oil or other vegetable oil

Method:

1. Add water and steam cook the ingredients, add  rock sugar or slab sugar, drain out water

2. Use a spoon to smash ingredients, add oil, roll into balls

Moon cake skin: white original colour, green tea powder, blue butterfly pea flower

Ingredient

Glutinous rice flour 45g

Rice flour 40g

Wheat starch 20g

Milk 185g

Sugar  30g~50g

Sunflower oil or other vegetable oil 20g

Method:

1. Mix well milk, sugar and sunflower oil

2. Add glutinous rice flour, rice flour and wheat starch, mix well

3. Sieve batter once, rest for 30 minutes. If you want to add colour, add green tea powder or butterfly pea flowers now.

4. Steam batter for 20 minutes

5. Take out steamed batter. If butterfly pea flowers were added, remove them now.  Use chop sticks to stir until smooth, wait for it to cool down

6. Get ready for a pair of gloves and 2 rubber bands. Wearing them to avoid stickiness of dough. Rubber bands are used to tighten the gloves. It is OK without them.

7. Stir fry glutinous rice flour under low fire until golden brown. It is used to reduce stickiness.

8. Place snow skin dough in fridge for awhile.  It is easier to handle. According to moon cake mold, 18g for skin and 15g for stuffing. Wear the gloves, use your hand to press the skin flat, wrap the stuffing by pushing up.

9. Close the opening and dip some fried glutinous rice flour

10. Put some flour on the mold, place the moon cake dough in the mold, press and release the cake. Brush out the excessive flour on the moon cake

11. Seal the snow skin moon cake and store in the fridge for 4-5 hours. It can be store in the fridge for 2-3 days. To keep longer, it can be frozen in the freezer.

12. You can make snow skin moon cake with 2 colours

Moon Cake Mold

Welcome the Moon

Today September 16, I and my good friends gathered together to have coffee chats. I prepared a dozen of Cantonese moon cakes to share with them in order to welcome the moon.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Next,  Malaysian Noodle Delights Part 2 Of 3 

 

Publisher： Chef Kar Delight