Authentic Mooncake Recipe Guangdong, China

Start with making the bean paste filling – either with yellow mung beans or with red beans.

For mung bean paste, pre-soak the mung beans overnight, rinse well and dry. Cook the mung beans in a rice cooker or a regular cooking pot until they become soft and easy to crush with your fingers. Mash the beans, so they are completely smooth, add salt, butter, and vegetable oil and place them into a non-stick skillet. Heat the mixture over a low flame, stirring constantly, until the butter and the oil have absorbed. Add sugar and stir until the mixture reaches a dry, dough-like consistency. Let the paste cool.

Alternatively, you can also prepare the filling paste with red beans. Place the dried red beans in a colander, wash thoroughly with running water, and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Skim and discard the skins and beans floating on the surface. Place soaked beans and 3 cups (720 ml) of water in a cooking pot or a pressure cooker. Cook for 40 minutes in a pressure cooker, or 1 hour in a regular pot – the beans should become soft. Blend the cooked beans in a food processor into a smooth paste. Put the paste into a non-stick pan with salt, sugar, and butter or vegetable oil. Simmer over low heat until all the liquid evaporated, and the paste becomes dry and dough-like. Let cool.

Prepare the golden syrup. Mix caster sugar and water in a stainless steel cooking pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer without stirring. Dip a brush in water and run it along the walls of the pot so the crystallized sugar drops into the water. Simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour until the syrup reaches an amber color. Reserve 75g (5 tbsp) of golden syrup needed for this recipe and keep the rest of it in an airtight bottle.

Now, make the dough. Mix lye water, 75g (5 tbsp) golden syrup, and vegetable oil. Add 115g (1 cup) of flour and knead into a soft dough. Wrap with plastic foil, and let it rest in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Divide the dough into 14 portions weighing 15g (0.5 oz) each. Form each portion into a ball.

Prepare the filling. This recipe will make 8 mooncakes with bean paste and egg yolk filling and 6 mooncakes with pure bean paste filling. First, take 380g (13.4 oz) of bean paste filling (either mung bean or red bean) and divide it into two portions: one should weigh 200g (7 oz) and another 180g (6.3 oz). Now, divide the larger, 200g (7 oz) portion into 8 portions weighing 25g (0.9 oz) each, roll each portion into a small ball, and place them on one plate. Then, divide the smaller 180g (6.3 oz) portion of bean paste into 6 portions weighing 30g (1 oz) each, roll them into small balls as well, and arrange them on a second plate.

First, make the mooncakes with bean paste and egg yolk filling. Arrange 8 salted duck egg yolks on a plate and spray them with white spirit. Prepare the plate with eight 25-gram (0.9 oz) portions of bean paste. Now, place one egg yolk and one 25g (0.9 oz) portion of bean paste on a kitchen scale: together, they should weigh 35g (1.2 oz), and will be used to fill one mooncake. If they weigh over 35g (1.2 oz), remove some of the bean paste. Repeat with the remaining egg yolks and 25g (0.9 oz) portions of bean paste.

Now, press each portion of bean paste into a flat disc. Stretch with your fingers and place an egg yolk into the middle of each disc. Gently wrap the bean paste around the egg yolk and roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining egg yolks and bean paste portions.

Now, take 8 portions of dough and roll each one into a flat disc. Place one filling ball with the egg yolk hidden inside into the middle of each disc and wrap the filling with the dough. Gently push and pull the dough until it covers the filling completely. Repeat with the remaining filling balls and dough. Form into balls and lightly dust them with flour. Place each ball into the opening of your mooncake tool and press gently, so the mooncakes are formed. Transfer the finished mooncakes to a baking tray.

Now, make the mooncakes with pure bean filling. Take the remaining 6 portions of dough and press them into 6 flat discs. Take the plate with six 30-gram (1 oz) portions of bean filling balls. Wrap each bean filling ball with a single portion of dough, so the dough wraps the filling completely. Form the mooncakes following the procedure described in the previous step and arrange the mooncakes on a baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and spray the mooncakes with water lightly to prevent the crust from cracking. Place in an oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the egg wash by mixing one egg yolk with 1 tbsp of egg whites. Take the mooncakes out of the oven and lightly brush them with egg wash. Return to the oven and bake until lightly golden, for 15-20 minutes.

Cool the mooncakes on a wire rack. Store them in an airtight container for 1-2 days, until they are tender and oily. Serve or keep in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.