Mooncake
Dense lotus seed paste wrapped in thin pastry around a whole salted duck egg yolk, pressed with a decorative mold — the centerpiece of the Mid-Autumn Festival, best after resting a day so the crust softens and glazes.
Vegetarian
⚠ Contains: Egg, Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups lotus seed paste
- 6 salted duck egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup golden syrup
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp alkaline water (kansui)
- 1 egg yolk, beaten, for egg wash
Steps
- Mix the golden syrup, oil, and alkaline water together, then stir in the flour to form a soft dough. Rest, covered, for at least 1 hour.
- Rinse the salted egg yolks, pat dry, and briefly bake at 300F for 5 minutes to firm them up.
- Divide the lotus seed paste into portions and flatten each one, wrapping it around a salted egg yolk to fully enclose it.
- Divide the rested dough into smaller portions and flatten each into a thin disc.
- Wrap each dough disc around a lotus paste and egg yolk ball, sealing completely and rolling into a smooth sphere.
- Press each ball into a mooncake mold to imprint the pattern, then place on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350F for 5 minutes, brush lightly with beaten egg yolk, then bake another 10-15 minutes until golden.
- Let cool completely and store at room temperature for 1-2 days before eating, so the crust softens.