Cantonese Mooncake - Lotus Seed

🥮 Traditional Cantonese Mooncakes! 🥮
Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner and everyone is either gifting or eating these sweet treats - but hold on! Mooncakes are usually high in sugar and fat, which makes it unhealthy to be consuming on a daily basis. 😲
Try this homemade Traditional Cantonese Mooncake recipe, a healthier option as compared to store-bought ones, without compromising the taste and texture~

Cantonese Mooncake (Lotus Seed)

Yields: 10-12

Golden Syrup:

800g Radiant Organic Unrefined Sugar

200g Radiant Organic Brown Sugar

2-3 slices organic lemon

 

Method:

Put all ingredients in a pot.

Bring to boil.

Turn to low heat and cook for 1 1/2 hours until golden brown.

*Keep the golden syrup for at least 3 months before utilising.

 

Mooncake pastry (low sugar):

150g Radiant Organic Unbleached Plain Flour

100g Radiant Organic Unbleached Cake / Pastry Flour

120g golden syrup

80g Radiant Organic Grape seed oil

1 tsp alkaline water

 

Mooncake Pastry: Mix all ingredients till well combined. Set aside for 30 minutes – 1 hour

 

Preparing the Salted Egg Yolk: (10-12)

Wash salted egg yolk and roll in sesame oil. Steam for 2 minutes. Cool it down before using.

 

Lotus Seed Paste Filling (Low Sugar)

600g lotus seed

1Tbsp alkaline water

100g Radiant Organic Brown Sugar

100g Radiant Organic Molasses Sugar

2 Tbsp Radiant Organic Coconut Palm Sugar

200g Radiant Organic Grape seed oil

Batter (Mixed)

50g cooking oil

30g wheat starch

 

Method:

• Clean the lotus seeds thoroughly. Pour in alkaline water, soak for 10-15 minutes. Rinse for few times. Put the lotus seed in boiled water. Cover and soak for 15-20 minutes.
• Remove lotus seed from water and rub to remove the skin.
• Cook the lotus seed in a pot of water until soften. Filter and grind the seeds into paste.
• Stir fry with 2 Tbsp of oil and sugar in a pot until sugar turns into light brown.
• Add lotus seeds paste and add remaining sugar, stir-fry over high heat until boiling. Gradually add in remaining cooking oil, in few portions. Stir-fry until thick.

• Add maltose and batter, turn to medium-low heat, stir-fry the paste until it is not stick to the pot.

 

Filling:

900g-1kg homemade lotus seed paste

50g toasted melon seeds

• Filling: (*can either use lotus seed paste or red bean paste) mix seed paste with toasted melon seeds. Divide paste into 10-12 portions, wrap up one salted egg yolk to form about 100g each. Shape into balls.
• Divide skin dough into 55g-60g each (depends on the size of your mould), shape into a ball, flatten it and wrap in a portion of filling.
• Put mooncake into a floured mould, press well and then knock 4 sides of the mould and gently remove the mooncake from the mould. Arrange them onto a baking tray and spray with water before putting into the oven.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 15 minutes. Remove and leave aside to cool for 10 minutes.
• Brush the top with beaten egg yolk. Bake again for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Note: For a better result, leave mooncakes aside for 2-3 days for the pastry skin to “breathe” and will become softer.

 

---