Directions

For the Mooncake Skin

1. Prepare all ingredients needed to make the pastry.
2. In a large bowl, add in golden syrup, peanut oil, followed by alkaline water (iye water). Whisk until all the ingredients are well blended.
3. Next, add in the 240g of all-purpose flour (A). Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir to combine all ingredients but, do not over-stir.
4. Cover with a cling wrap and set aside for 4 hours.

For the Salted Egg Yolk and Melon Seeds:

1. Crack salted egg and gently take the yolk out. Repeat the same with the rest of the eggs.
2. Then, bake the salted egg yolks in a 175ºC preheated oven. Bake for 5 mins and set aside to cool.
3. Next, roast melon seeds in the preheated oven for 5 mins.

Assembling the Mooncake

1. Mix the roasted melon seeds into the lotus paste. Lightly knead to combine the melon seeds into the paste.
2. Roll lotus paste into a log, divide into 10 equal pieces about 110g each and roll into balls.
3. Then, take the skin dough which have been set aside for 4 hours and mix in the 120g all-purpose flour (B).
4. Gently knead the rested dough just until it comes together and firms up. Divide the dough skin into 10 equal pieces, each about 50g. Roll each portion into a small ball shape.
5. To assemble, first take a lotus paste ball and poke a hole in the middle with your finger. Place the baked egg yolk inside. Roll and shape into a ball.
6. Use a rolling pin to evenly flatten skin dough. To avoid skin dough from sticking to the rolling pin, place dough between two pieces of cling wrap before rolling. Put lotus paste ball onto the flattened dough and enclose filling by gently pressing edges until filling is sealed.
7. Gently push, press and squeeze the dough, holding the ball securely in your palm, until the dough skin gradually covers the lotus paste ball. Repeat this step to finish the remaining dough skin and lotus paste balls.
8. Prepare the wooden mould by dusting lightly with flour. Put dough into the lightly floured mooncake mould and press hard and flatten the dough to ensure that the dough fully fills the mould. Gently knock a few times to dislodge the moulded mooncake.
9. Transfer the moulded mooncakes onto a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 200ºC. Place the mooncakes in the preheated oven to bake for 10 mins. Remove the mooncakes from the oven and leave to cool on wire rack for 5 mins.
10. Lightly brush the entire top of mooncakes with beaten egg yolk. Then, bake in the oven for another 10 mins or till golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
12. Store in air-tight container for 1-2 days and the mooncake skin will become soft and shiny. Now the mooncake is ready to be served and enjoyed with a pot of freshly brewed Chinese tea.