As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, a time when the moon is at its fullest and brightest, many are sharing their mooncake masterpieces. In the spirit of this tradition, I am excited to bring back a beloved recipe to the “Douguo” food community. This is my inaugural post here, and I plan to share more gastronomic secrets in the future. My family has a particular fondness for the Five-Nut Mooncake, a classic variety that often finds its way to our festive table. However, finding the perfect balance of sweetness can be a challenge with store-bought options, which is why I’ve perfected a homemade version that is sweet without being cloying, bursting with nutty freshness—a perfect accompaniment to moon-gazing on this special night.
Ingredients: A Cornucopia of Nuts:
- A mix of nuts (peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, black and white sesame seeds, cranberries, raisins) totaling 700g
- Corn oil: 120g
- High-proof liquor (above 45% alcohol): 10g
- Maltose: 240g
- Glutinous rice flour: 300g
- Lukewarm water: 135g
- For the mooncake crust: All-purpose flour: 400g
- Invert sugar syrup: 280g
- Lye water: 8g
- Peanut oil: 100g
- Egg wash (for brushing the mooncake): 1 egg yolk, a quarter of an egg white, and 15g of milk
The Art of Crafting Five-Nut Mooncakes:
- Begin with raw, unflavored nuts to avoid conflicting tastes. Roast the peanuts to perfection and shell the sunflower seeds yourself to ensure the freshest flavors.
- Combine the nuts to reach a total weight of 700 grams.
- Place the peanuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Chop the cranberries and raisins into small pieces.
- Mix all the nuts and fruits together. Aim for smaller pieces to enhance the texture and flavor of the filling.
- Toast the glutinous rice flour over low heat until it turns slightly yellow and the raw taste dissipates.
- Combine the nut mixture with the toasted glutinous rice flour, maltose, corn oil, liquor, and lukewarm water. Mix thoroughly with gloved hands, press firmly, cover with cling film, and let it rest for at least 2 hours, preferably 3.
- For the mooncake crust, mix the flour with invert sugar syrup, lye water, and corn oil. Flip and press the mixture without kneading to ensure the mooncakes soften properly as they rest. An experienced pastry chef shared this secret with me. Rest the dough for 3 hours, covered with cling film.
- I prefer a thicker crust, so I typically use 20g of dough for 30g of filling. This recipe yields 25 mooncakes with that proportion, plus an additional 19 mooncakes with 15g of dough and 35g of filling.
- Prepare the dough and filling by wearing disposable gloves on one hand, leaving the other free to shape and fill.
- To avoid stickiness, I usually wear gloves, although I skipped them for the photo shoot.
- I prepare 25 sets of dough and filling first, keeping the rest covered to prevent drying.
- After filling, roll the mooncakes in a thin layer of flour and press firmly with a mooncake mold to achieve a crisp, three-dimensional pattern.
- Here are the mooncakes with 20g of dough and 30g of filling. The remaining ones were not photographed.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius with top and bottom heat for 5 minutes. Bake the mooncakes for 8 minutes, then brush with a thin layer of egg wash and bake for another 15 minutes. They will be soft when hot but will harden as they cool. Store in a sealed bag for three days to allow the flavors to develop before serving.
- The result is a beautifully colored mooncake that is crisp and delicious, with a filling that is sweet but not overpowering.
Cooking Tips: Crafting the Perfect Mooncake:
- The recipe yields 44 mooncakes weighing 50 grams each. Feel free to adjust the quantities if needed.
- The addition of high-proof liquor enhances the flavor and shelf-life, though it can be omitted.
- Dilute the egg wash with 15g of milk for a lighter color.
- Use the correct oven temperature and baking time to prevent the mooncakes from collapsing.