Welcome Mid-Autumn Festival with Authentic Mooncake

The Mid-Autumn Festival of China, also called the Moon Cake Festival is falling on September 8, 2014. It is denoted a harvesting festival which is stuffed with sweet treats. The markets and houses are flooded with mooncakes, a month before the arrival of the fest. Mooncakes are made up of thin dough shells. They contain heavenly fillings like red bean paste, chocolate, nuts, dates etc. This festival is considered as one of the best shindig, after the New Year celebration. It is accompanied by pomelos (Chinese grapefruit) eating competition. Well, the word eating reminds me, I’m very fond of Chinese food especially sweet and sour pork with pineapple and dumplings :P.

The Moon Cake festival is accompanied by pomelos (Chinese grapefruit), eating competition. It is marked by fire-dragon dances and lantern burning all over the night, which lightens and brightens up the place. People worship lunar goddess Chang’e and devotees burn incense sticks in the honour. Chinese believe that the Goddess lives on moon with a jade rabbit. There is a famous moon-watching spot in the city of Hangzhou. Here, there are  three candlelit towers in West Lake, beautifully decorated with lights and lanterns. Let's welcome the Moon Cake Festival with Authentic Mooncake recipe.

Authentic Mooncake Recipe

For the Mooncake Dough:-

25 ml Peanut oil,

2 ml Alkaline water,

100 grams All-purpose flour,

70 grams golden syrup.

For the Mooncake Filling:-

415 grams edible lotus paste,

40 grams melon seeds.

Preparation Method:-

1. Mix lotus paste with melon seeds. Divide the filling and shape into small balls. Set aside. Place the golden syrup in a bowl. Add in alkaline water and stir well. Add in oil and mix well.

3. Place flour in a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre. Add in the above mixture. Gently knead the dough till smooth. Dust the working surface with some flour.

5. Divide the dough into small balls. Dust hand with flour and flatten each ball of dough into a small disc, about 5 cm in diameter. Wrap in it the filling made above and shape it into balls.

6. Lightly dust the wrapped dough with some flour. Place in the mooncake mould and press the mooncake out. Place mooncake on a baking tray, with parchment paper. Spray some water on the mooncakes.

7. Bake at preheated oven at 180 D.C for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Brush the top with some egg wash. Return to oven and continue to bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown.

9. Leave mooncakes to cool completely and store in airtight containers. Enjoy!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!