Golden Lotus Paste Mooncakes (Printable Version)
Traditional Chinese pastries with sweet lotus filling and golden pastry, ideal for autumn celebrations.
# What You Need:
→ Pastry Dough
01 - 4.2 oz all-purpose flour
02 - 3 oz golden syrup
03 - 1 oz vegetable oil
04 - 1/2 tsp alkaline water (lye water)
→ Filling
05 - 17 oz lotus seed paste (store-bought or homemade)
06 - 12 salted egg yolks (optional; can substitute with whole roasted nuts)
→ Egg Wash
07 - 1 egg yolk
08 - 1 tbsp milk
# How to Make It:
01 - In a bowl, combine golden syrup, vegetable oil, and alkaline water. Mix until well blended and emulsified.
02 - Add flour to the wet mixture. Stir until a dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 2 hours at room temperature.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
04 - Divide the lotus seed paste into 12 portions (1.4 oz each). If using, wrap each salted egg yolk inside a portion of paste and roll into a smooth ball.
05 - Divide the rested dough into 12 portions (approximately 0.7 oz each).
06 - Flatten each dough ball into a disc. Place a filling ball in the center and carefully wrap the dough around, pinching edges to seal completely.
07 - Lightly dust a mooncake mold with flour. Place the filled ball inside and gently press to shape. Release onto a parchment-lined baking tray.
08 - Repeat with remaining dough and filling portions until all mooncakes are formed.
09 - Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from oven.
10 - Brush mooncakes lightly with egg wash mixture.
11 - Return to oven and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
12 - Cool completely on wire rack. Store in an airtight container for 1-2 days to allow the pastry to soften before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The pastry becomes impossibly tender after a days rest, yielding to the slightest pressure of your thumb
- Homemade versions let you control the sweetness and customize fillings to your hearts content
02 -
- The dough must rest for the full 2 hours or it will shrink back miserably when you try to shape it
- Mooncakes need at least one day of rest in an airtight container to reach their ideal tender texture
03 -
- Work quickly once you start shaping, as the dough becomes more difficult to handle as it warms up
- If the pastry cracks while baking, a light second coat of egg wash can hide most imperfections