Pandan Snow Skin Mooncake with Lotus Paste

Berry Tea Snow Skin Mooncake with Lotus Paste

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #11: Mid-Autumn Treats (September 2011), hosted by Happy Home Baking.

Recipe

Ingredients
100g kao fen (cooked glutinous rice flour)
25g shortening
90g icing sugar
125g water
1bag 'Liton' Cranberry Raspberry & Strawberry Tea Bag (ground)

Filling
360g lotus paste
(divide into 12 balls of 30g each)

Dusting
50g tapioca flour
(steamed for 10mins, cool and sift twice)

Steps:
1. Boil water, add grounded tea leaf into hot water and set aside to cool.
2. Sift kao fen and icing sugar together.
3. Rub shortening into the flour mixture until it resemble bread crumb.
4. Pour liquid into flour mixture and mix to form soft dough. Do not overmix. (Dough will look rough but soft in texture.)
5. Cover the dough and rest in the fridge for 15mins.
6. Divide dough into 12 portions of 25g each.
7. Flatten it and wrap in the filling, seal the edges and roll into a ball.
8. Pad the ball with some flour and press it into mooncake mould.
9. Plunge it out slowly.
10.Brush away excess flour around the mooncake.
11.Chill in the fridge and serve.

Baked Lotus Paste Mooncake

Baked Red Bean Paste Mooncake (Vegetarian - without egg glaze)

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #11: Mid-Autumn Treats (September 2011), hosted by Happy Home Baking.

Recipe

Ingredients
Skin:
150g plain flour/ cake flour (sifted)
90g golden syrup
40g 100% pure peanut oil
1/2tsp alkaline water

Filling:
450g red bean paste
(divide into 15 balls 30g each)


Steps:
1. Mix the golden syrup, oil and alkaline together.
2. Add the syrup into the flour and mix until it form a soft dough.
3. Cover and rest dough for 3 to 5 hours or rest it in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 180C.
5. Divide dough into 24g each.
6. Flatten it and wrap in the filling, seal the edges and roll into a ball.
7. Pad the ball with some flour and press it into mooncake mould.
8. Knock the mooncake out from the mould and arrange it on a greased tray.
9. Baked in a preheated oven for 8mins.
10.Remove from oven and leave it to cool for 10mins.
11.Spray surface of baked mooncakes with water.
12.Return it to the oven and continue to baked for another 10mins until golden brown.
13.Remove from tray and cool it on a wire rack.

Note:
-The skin of a freshly baked mooncake is hard. It will take about 3 to 4 days (depend on the thickness of the skin) for oil to ooze out and the skin will turn soft and taste better.

Golden Egg Lotus Paste Mooncake (金蛋莲蓉小月饼)

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #11: Mid-Autumn Treats (September 2011), hosted by Happy Home Baking.

Recipe

Ingredients (yield about 20mooncakes)
300g plain flour
1tbsp custard powder
1tsp baking powder
1/4tsp ammonia
40g shortening
60g margarine
60g icing sugar
2 egg

600g lotus paste
adequate sesame seed

Steps:
1. Use a food processor, blend all the ingredients except egg till it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add in beaten egg blend till it form soft dough.
3. Wrap the dough up and let it rest in the fridge for 30mins.
4. Divide lotus paste into 30g each and shape into oval.
5. Divide dough into 30g each and shape into balls.
6. Preheat oven to 180C.
7. Press dough lightly and flatten it.
8. Place lotus paste filling on flatten dough and wrap it up.
9. Shape dough into oval shape.
10.Arrange it on a greased tray.
11.Glaze surface of mooncake with egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seed on it.
12.Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25mins.

Teacher's Day Gift

Recipe from 'okashi sweet treats made with love' by Keiko Ishida - Chocolate Puffy Macaroons. This year I just baked something simple for my boys' teachers.

Wishing all teachers 'Happy Teacher's Day'. :)

Yogurt Fruity Tart

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #10: Easy as Pie (August 2011), hosted by Janine of Not the Kitchen Sink!

Recipe

Ingredients
Sweet pastry:
140g butter (cut into cubes and chill)
70g icing sugar
40g egg
1/2tsp vanilla paste
250g plain flour
35g ground almond
1/4tsp salt

Filling:
80g butter
45g icing sugar
2 egg
200g plain yogurt
75g ground almond

Steps:
Sweet pastry:
1. Use a food processor, blend flour and butter till it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add in icing sugar, salt and ground almond and blend till well combined.
3. Add in beaten egg and vanilla paste and blend till it form soft dough.
4. Wrap the dough up and let it rest in the fridge for 30mins.
5. Press some dough into tart mould.
6. With a knife, trim away excess dough at the edges.
7. Arrange it in a container, cover and let it rest in the fridge for another 30mins.
(You can prepare the pastry a day ahead.)

Filling:
1. Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in egg and yoghurt until well combined.
3. Fold in ground almond until well combined.

Assemble tart:
1. Preheat oven to 175C.
2. Remove tarts from fridge and thaw for 10mins.
3. Spoon filling into tarts about half filled.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25mins.
5. Remove tarts from oven and cool them on a wire rack.
6. Decorate with any fruits of your choice.