Weee! Make Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncakes at Home

17/01/2024

Hey there! Have you always wanted to make your mooncakes but never knew where to start? Well, look no further. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up, so now is the perfect time to try your hand at making these delightful little cakes. In this article, we’ll walk you through an easy recipe to make homemade mooncakes from scratch. You’ll be enjoying these sweet, flaky pastries along with friends and family in no time. Whether you’re celebrating the festival itself or just looking for an exciting new baking project, mooncakes are a fun cultural tradition you can easily recreate at home. So grab your apron and let’s get started!

Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival With Homemade Mooncakes

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a magical time in many Asian cultures, especially in China. Families come together to gaze at the bright harvest moon, light lanterns, and of course, eat mooncakes – round pastries traditionally filled with lotus seed paste and egg yolk.

If you want to make your mooncakes this year to share with loved ones, here’s a simple recipe to try:

Ingredients:

-2 cups all-purpose flour

-1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

-1/2 cup vegetable shortening

-1 egg yolk

-1/4 cup water

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1 (14 ounces) can of lotus seed paste

-6 egg yolks (duck or chicken)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and shortening. Mix well with your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, water, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until a dough forms. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut circles.
Place 1 tablespoon of lotus seed paste in the center of half the dough circles. Make a shallow indentation in the paste and place an egg yolk in it.
Cover with the remaining dough circles and seal the edges with a fork dipped in water. Crimp decoratively around the edge.
Bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Enjoy!

Your friends and family will surely appreciate these homemade treats. Wishing you a wonderful Mid-Autumn Festival!

Traditional Mooncake Fillings and Shapes From Across Asia

Traditional mooncakes come in a variety of sweet and savory fillings representing different Asian cultures.

Sweet Red Bean Paste

A classic Chinese filling, red bean paste is made from adzuki beans, sugar, and lard or vegetable oil. The beans are boiled, mashed, and sweetened. The paste has an earthy, nutty flavor and a texture similar to smooth peanut butter.

Lotus Seed Paste

Another popular Chinese filling, lotus seed paste is made from dried lotus seeds that are boiled, peeled, and ground with sugar. The paste has a mild nutty and creamy flavor with a fine, crumbly texture.

Five Kernel

This filling represents prosperity and abundance, containing pumpkin, watermelon sunflower seeds, roasted peanuts, and almonds in a sweet maltose syrup. Popular in China and Taiwan.

Pandan Custard

A Malaysian filling of coconut milk, egg yolks, and pandan leaf extract, gives it a bright green color and vanilla-like aroma. The custard has a velvety texture like flan.

Durian

For the adventurous, durian paste captures the tropical essence of the pungent fruit. Popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. An acquired taste, durian is creamy with hints of almond and garlic.

With so many delicious fillings to choose from across Asia, you’ll have no trouble finding mooncakes to suit your tastes for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Why not try making different fillings at home and creating your mooncake flavors? Wishing you a happy and prosperous festival!

Shop Weee for Authentic Asian Ingredients to Make Mooncakes

To make traditional mooncakes at home, you’ll need some essential ingredients from Weee.

Flaky Pastry and Fillings

The signature crumbly pastry and sweet fillings are what make mooncakes special. Get ready-made mooncake pastry skins and choose from fillings like lotus seed paste, red bean paste, or egg yolk custard. The pastry skins come pre-cut in circles, so you just need to wrap the filling, seal, and shape.

Molds

Decorative mooncake molds imprint festive designs and Chinese characters for “longevity” or “happiness”. Press the wrapped mooncakes into the molds to shape before baking. Molds can be intricately carved wooden ones or simple plastic – either works great for home baking.

Egg Wash and Toppings

Brush the shaped mooncakes with egg wash or melted butter for a golden sheen. Then top with ingredients like pumpkin or sunflower seeds, chocolate chips, or candied fruit peels. Get creative!

Syrup

A sweet syrup is often drizzled over baked mooncakes. You can find ready-made mooncake syrup on Weee or easily make your own from sugar, maltose (rice syrup), and water.

With high-quality ingredients and a little effort, you’ll be enjoying homemade mooncakes in no time. Share photos of your mooncake creations with the hashtag #weeefoodie – we’d love to see your festive bakes! Making mooncakes at home is a great way to celebrate cultural traditions with friends and family.

Conclusion

You’ve made it to the end of the recipe, your kitchen is a mess, but those mooncakes cooling on the rack make it all worth it. Biting into a homemade mooncake, the sweet lotus paste melting into your mouth, you’ll be transported back to colorful lantern-lit streets and time with loved ones. Traditions are meant to be shared, so pack up some of those mooncakes and give them to friends and family. Tell them the story of Chang’e, the moon goddess, and how these little cakes are meant for gazing at the harvest moon. Most of all, remember that festivals are for bringing people together, for bonding over food and laughter. Your kitchen may be a disaster zone, but the memories you’ve made tonight will last for lifetimes to come.