Making matcha snow skin mooncakes is a dual feast for the taste buds and the eyes. The outer skin of this mooncake is made from a delicate mixture of glutinous rice flour, sticky rice flour, and plain flour, combined with an appropriate amount of sugar, condensed milk, and corn oil, blended with milk until smooth and bubble-free. The batter is steamed until cooked, and patience is required to remove the internal white core, gently kneading in the fat until the dough exhibits a silky sheen. It is then covered with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator to rest for an hour, allowing the dough to relax fully.
For the filling, softened cream cheese is beaten with granulated sugar until smooth, and pre-frozen crushed dried cranberries are mixed in to add a hint of sweet and sour fruity aroma. These carefully prepared cranberry cheese balls not only enrich the texture of the mooncake but also balance the freshness of the matcha.
The chilled snow skin dough is expertly divided, with half mixed with matcha powder, creating a unique striped pattern of green and the original color, then evenly divided into nine portions, each encasing a plump cranberry cheese filling. The edges are sealed carefully, gently flattened, and coated with a thin layer of toasted glutinous rice flour to prevent sticking and add flavor. Using molds, delicate patterns are pressed into the dough, and the inner walls of the molds are lightly brushed to prevent sticking, resulting in mooncakes that look like exquisite works of art.
The completed matcha snow skin mooncakes, cool and soft with the glutinous rice texture, blend the elegance of matcha with the sweet and sour notes of cranberries, making each bite a refreshing summer delight. Their high visual appeal is also pleasing to the eye. Consuming them after refrigerating for a while enhances the flavor, making them a rare seasonal delicacy.
